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Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
It's no surprise that Joss Whedon disowned this crap
Buffy Summers is a vacuous teenager who spends her privileged life, cheerleading, dating the captain of the football team and endlessly shopping. Her cozy life is turned upside down when she is approached by the enigmatic Merrick who tells her that she is the slayer. One girl who is destined to protect mankind from vampires. Buffy is understandably dubious, put soon learns to her horror that what he tells her is true. Reluctantly proceeding to be trained for take on the evil undead, she finds her nocturnal battle against the forces of evil. She is shunned by her shallow friends and finds love with high school outsider, Pike. Joining forces they pit their wits against the powerful Vampire King Lothos.
Before the seminal TV series that aired several years later, there was this 1992 movie which was the concoction of screenwriter and future director Joss Whedon., who sold the movie to production company Sandollar in 1991. Acting in an advisory capacity during the movie's production, Whedon swiftly became disheartened due to his dissatisfaction due to the changes made to his script. Eventually walking off the set, never to return...and It's not hard to see why. Dispensing some of Whedon's jokes, describing his humour as too "abstract." They also disliked It's darker tone, which would eventually be carried over into the TV series, aiming more for a more lighter comedy. To say the end result left something to be desired is an understatement. A unmitigated farago on practically every level, It doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as the far superior TV series. Directed, by Fran Rubel Kuzui with all the finesse of a wrecking ball.
Running at 86 minutes in length, there's scant means to afford to flesh out the characters or allow for any plot development. This is given short shrift in favour of goofy, inane comedy. Much of some of the adult themes that eventually made the TV series more compelling are absent. Buffy's teenage angst, and being burdened with the responsibility of an insurmountable destiny that she can't walk away from are absent.
Both Donald Sutherland and Rutger Hauer whose careers had seen better days by this point clearly were in this for the paycheck Lothos, the movies villain spends most of the time swanning about uttering the usual maniacal ramblings. Essentially he's given no real motivation beyond being the token bad guy. Kristy Sutherland does inject some spunk and charisma into Buffy,
in spite of the flabby material she is forced to contend with. While Kristy Swanson and Luke Perry struggle, try as they might to get anything out of their threadbare characters. It's hard to imagine that among the cast, who breathe as much life into their characters as you could a corpses consists of Hilary Swank. Who, unfathomable as it might have seemed at the time would go on to be an Oscar Winning actress.
As far as any kind of logic is concerned in the context of it's narrative mythology, why do the vampires who have the ability to fly not just use it to just escape rather than find themselves on the receiving end of Swanson's stake to the heart. Dumb, stupid and lacking in any kind of wit and the self knowing facetiousness that Whedon would later bring to the more renowned TV series. It's little wonder that Whedon disowned it.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
An overindulgent and over packed sequel
Three years have passed since the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Since then Gary has moved with the Spenglers to New York. Now living in the fire station, that was the base of operations for the original Ghostbusters. When an ancient object comes to the attention of Ray Stanz, a powerful force of pure evil is unleashed from it which proceeds to bring mankind to its very knees. Gary and the Spengler's find themselves teaming up the original Ghostbusting team, as they set out to save the world from descending into another ice age.
After the underwhelming disappointment of Ghostbusters: Afterlife which nevertheless still proved to be financial success at the box office, which no doubt prompted this sequel. With Jason Reitman stepping back from directing duties, and handing the reins to Gil Kenan who he shares a screenwriting credit with. Ghostbusters: Frozen Kingdom is a sequel that nobody should have wanted, and yet three years on that is precisely what we've got. Another excuse to squeeze as much money out of a franchise which was long ago at It's peak with the 1984 classic original. And one any of it's sequels, and the belated 2016 remake failed to coming anywhere near close to equaling. Although Ghostbusters II for all It's faults was a fun enough romp.
The plot as with the first just seems like an excuse to act as fan service to those who remember the first two movies. With a shot in a TV news report of The Statue of Liberty walking through the streets of New York from the second movie. Which in of itself seems out of place seeing as Reitman had seemingly decided to retcon Ghostbusters II, with it being pointed out that there hadn't been any reports of ghost sightings since the first movie. As with Afterlife, we get even more of the same with Slimer also making an appearance as do the mini marhmallow men, and the Library Ghost. All of which feels perfunctory. As does the return of William Atherton as Walter Peck, who was the slimy self-righteous inspector for the Environmental Protection Agency from Part 1 who tried to have the Ghostbusters shut down. And was subsequently responisble for shutting down the Ghost containment unit which almost led to the world coming to an end. Therefore one may wonder how he has now come to be the Mayor of New York. It can't have been a ringing endorsement for his mayoral campaign for him to say, "Hi I'm Walter Peck, you know, the man who almost dragged the world into the seventh level of hell, and I'm running for Mayor!" Essentially he's pretty much there to be the fly in the ointment, most notably toward Phoebe, the granddaughter of Egon Spengler who we were introduced to in the previous movie. Who is of course, a-typically headstrong and as is always the case clashing not just with those in authority but her mother, Callie (Carrie Coon) and her former school teacher, and now her mother's partner Gary (Paul Rudd, who does have a few fun moments).
There's a sub-plot involving a ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) that Phoebe befriends that feels out of place and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. And toward the end we have a perfect case of two many cooks spoiling the broth, with no less than eleven Ghostbusters all vying for attention so that it all feels overcooked. The inclusion of Bill Murray alone, who unlike Dan Ackyroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts feels obligatory. Only appearing in three scenes and literally adding anything to the story. He barely adds anything if anything to the story. And by the time it reaches it's final act it's completely run out of steam.
What's seriously lacking is any of the surprises, and how the original deftly managed to blend dark horror with comedy. But then, the sight of a 50 foot Mr. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was always going to be hard to top. Frozen Empire at least at times, there are the odd amusing moment, and some inkling of knowing whimsy. However It's not enough to overcome Reitman and Kenan overreaching themselves with their overindulgent ambitions.
Angel (1983)
Okay fare as exploitation B-movies go
Molly is a 15 year old grade-A student who lives a clandestine double life as a prostitute, going by the name "Angel" on Sunset Blvd. Her life is however made all the more complicated when a necrophiliac serial killer murders two of her friends. Being the only witness to who the killer is, she finds herself coming into the killers cross hairs. Detective Andrews who is investigating the killings, sets out to protect her while also forcing her to question the degrading life that she leads.
A rare if not not the only starring role for Donna Wilkes, this B-movie exploitation thriller was a sleeper hit upon its theatrical release. Directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil, who was best described as a hack director whose career was less than distinguished who's back Robert Vincent O'Neil included such unforgettable classics as Vice Squad and Wonder Women. One could dismiss Angel as being cheap, exploitation trash. Surprisingly, as B-movies of this ilk go, It's better than might be expected. Not least because it features a fairly solid turn from Wilkes in the title role, as well as generally solid performances. It's nothing of Oscar worthy material on hand here, although among the cast are veteran actors Susan Tyrell, and Dick Shawn. The latter arguably best remembered for his hilariously manic portrayal as L. S. D. In Mel Brooks cult comedy The Producers. Here he inhabits a very different role as Molly's transvestite friend Mae. Then there's Rory Calhoun, who with art imitating life playing a Kit Carson, a out of work movie cowboy.
What elevates this slightly above similar movie's is that at it's core there's a poignant and sad backstory. Wilkes (who was actually 24 when she played the role) manages to bring some dignity and vulnerability to Molly, who is being forced to live with the cards life has dealt her. It's gritty subject matter involving underage prostitution is one that is rarely if ever tackled, certainly not in mainstream cinema which of course this doesn't fall under. With Chris Gorman portraying the voice of moral reason as Detective Andrews, the hard-nosed police Lieutenant who is attempting to bring the twisted serial killer to justice. And in doing so learns Molly is turning tricks. The father/daughter dynamic that plays out at times is fairly touching.
The movie however can't quite escape its B-movie trappings. O' Neill throws in a needlessly gratuitous shower scene with high school girls while failing to really wring out any sense of tension from his script, and feels too mechanical. Expressly in It's final act, where it feels as if he's just going through the motions. Apparently the movie's denouement was to have something of a slightly different outcome, and was changed and one would assume it was at the last minute because it certainly does show. Due to it's moderate box office success, it managed to spawn two sequels, one of which O' Neill would return to direct, as well as the proposed pilot for a TV series which never got off the ground. Although apparently with less favorable results.
Angel unsurprisingly has dwindled mainly into obscurity although It has managed to gain some fandom, although frankly It's nothing to write home about. It is what it is. No more, no less.
My Son (2021)
An atmospheric if forgettable dramatic thriller
Arriving in the Highlands of Scotland from overseas, Edmond Murray is informed by his distraught wife that their 7-year old son has gone missing. The police organize a coordinated search in an attempt to find the boy, but to no avail and it soon becomes apparent to the overwrought Edmond that he has been kidnapped. Brimming with anger and frustration he becomes determined to find his child.
An English-language remake of French director Christian Carion's own movie Mon Garçon, like the original, it was experimental in nature in that it's lead star James McAvoy was not even given a script to work with and no knowledge of his characters backstory. Being forced to improvise which in essence met that it was exercise in a figurative painting by numbers style of film-making. Which is not necessarily ever going to be a sign when the movies lead is essentially asked to wing it and play things by ear. It comes across as all too gimmicky.
How it compares to it's predecessor, I cannot say. That being said the 16% audience score it received on Rotten Tomatoes doesn't exactly make me feel optimistic. Although what that movie may have potentially lacked, and what My Son has in it's favor is it's leading man who as ever is on top form. Marking him as being at least deserving of high praise in the face of being given practically nothing to work with. He's matched by strong backup from Claire Foy, although she is given little to do and falls mainly to the wayside. Veteran actor and McAvoy's fellow Scot Gary Lewis (Orphans, Billy Elliott) is also on hand delivering some measure of heft to proceedings as Inspector Roy. The man who is leading the investigation into Ethan, Edmond's son's disappearance.
Regardless of the semblance of dramatic weight they bring to the table, the absence of anything relating to Edmond's past history means that It's hard for us to empathize with Edmond, and appreciate the tense relationship he has with his ex-wife. Worse still, is that it eventually descends into ripping off Taken in its final third, as McAvoy goes all Liam Neeson. Carion at least does bring an ample degree of somber ambiance to proceedings, although this is perhaps damning him with faint praise. It's ultimately McAvoy though that is the glue that holds everything together. My Son doesn't exactly break new ground and is a forgettable if only moderately diverting.
The Great Escaper (2023)
A passable last hurrah for both Caine and Jackson
89 year old British World War II veteran Bernard "Bernie" Jordan "escapes" from the nursing home where he lives with his wife Rene, to attend the 70th Anniversary D-Day commemorations in France. When he arrives he meets new friends in fellow veterans, and pays his respects to fallen comrades, while news of his journey hits the news, making him a national inspiration.
Based on the affecting true story of old army veteran Bernard Jordan's exploits marks what will be Michael Caine's swansong. Having announced that he would retire at the movie's London premiere. And as swansong's go, while not something of award nomination contention, The Great Escaper isn't without It's moments of poignancy. Underpinned by a charming enough central turn from Caine who brings some measured dignity to Bernie. The WWII solider whose going "AWOL" from a nursing home instigated a police search for his whereabouts. While in France, he meets a fellow veteran who shares his emotional battle scars, as does a young former solider, who is suffering from PTSD and is potentially struggling with alcoholism. Meanwhile back home, his wife Irene, played by the late Glenda Jackson who passed away shortly after the movie was released, also hailing this as her final hurrah. And it's a final one that she could be more than proud of. Her on screen chemistry is superb and so magical that they're effortlessly believable as a husband and wife who have spent so many years together.
This all being said it does at times feel as if it's pulling on the heartstrings a tad too much. The inclusion of the young solider who Bernie befriends Is under utilized and never really goes anywhere and feels a little token. One would suspect that this was nothing more than a piece of artistic license, shoehorned in to add some added dramatic heft. And the flashbacks to Bernie and Irene in their younger days during wartime feel unnecessary when depicting the full immeasurable weight of what men such as himself, and the loved one's they left behind had to contend with. If the movie does deliver an emotional gut punch it's where Bernie visits the grave of a comrade-in-arms at the Bayeux War Cemetery,. With a long shot of the numerous graves serving as a reminder of the supreme tragedy and loss of the young men who lost their lives.
Noble as its intentions are, this does feel at times to be an exercise in how to be manipulatively maudlin. Although it does at times find the right balance between sentimentality and pathos. It's anchored by some strong turns, not least of all by Jackson who displays her acting chops. Imbuing as much of the formidable nature in Irene as her husband.
Class of 1984 (1982)
An overwrought and clumsy social thriller
When new Music Teacher, Andrew Norris arrives at the tough urban High School of Lincoln High, he begins to learn how rough it truly is. School teachers have to carry loaded guns while students have to go through metal detectors before going to class. The school corridors are ruled by a savage gang of hoodlums lead by the volatile Peter Stegman, who ultimately butts heads with Norris. With tensions eventually boiling over and escalating out of Norris's control and descending into brutal violence.
Essentially intended by Director Mark L Lester as to shine a light on the societal issue of the high level of violence occurring in U. S. schools. For all his seemingly good intentions, Class of 1984 which despite the potential for it to be a gritty, intense thriller falls way off the mark on practically every level. With an overall quality of acting that ranges from acceptable to overly histrionic. The worst offenders being the then young gang members who put the ham into hamming it up. All snarls and swagger, there's barely anything resembling any cohesive character development. Perry King for the most part is solid in the thankless task as the movie's beleaguered hero although he veers into excessive theatrics. As does Merrie Lynn Ross. The late great Roddy McDowell fares better as King's harassed teaching colleague who is pushed to breaking point although you know he deserves so much better to work with. While Al Waxman, who is best remembered for his role as Lt. Bertman in 80's police TV series Cagney and Lacey Isn't exactly being forced to stretch his acting muscles too much here as he plays... yes a police Detective.
Steering from one incredulous set piece to another in it's final act and lumbered with an atrociously overblown rape sequence which would be laughable It wasn't so poorly handled, the one good thing I can say is it's worth a look if you want to see an entertainingly poor attempt at a gritty, exploitation thriller then this might be right up your street. Which would be laughable It wasn't so poorly handled, the one good thing I can say is it's worth a look if you want to see an entertainingly poor attempt at a gritty, exploitation thriller then this might be right up your street. Topped off with a cheesy, naff theme tune performed by Alice Cooper (no offence Alice but it is), It's a movie that has It's heart in the right place but not It's brain. It's bemusing it may seem to think that Lester considers this to be his best film although given his less than glittering CV (Commando, Firestarter) he didn't really set the bar very high for himself.
If it's notable for anything besides it featuring a very young Michael J. Fox, and a blink and you miss it appearance from an even younger Keanu Reeves. That's about as good as it gets as peeking anything really gets.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Good comically macabre fun but could have done with a few less characters clogging up the narrative
Thirty-six years have year passed since Lydia Deetz encountered the manic bio-exorcist Beetlejuice. Now, a supernatural TV show hostess, a family bereavement brings her back to the small town of Winter River. With her wayward daughter Astrid and her eccentric stepmother Delia in tow, Lydia's life is turned upside down once again when Astrid discovers a portal to the afterlife. And with Beetlejuice's soul sucking ex-wife having returned and who has her sights on tracking him down. The scene is set once again for all all to let loose when someone is forced to say the ghost with the most's name three times.
With the success of the previous movie, and Hollywood's propensity of never backing away from a potential cash cow. It comes as a surprise that a sequel to Tim Burton's cult supernatural comedy would take over three decades to finally get the go ahead. Two scripts were commissioned by the Geffen group with both Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder only agreeing to reprise their respective roles if Burton would return as the directing helm. Due however due to both Burton and Keaton being preoccupied a sequel never got off the year, with it being in development limbo until a script would eventually be greenlit and production would be announced in 2022.
With Hollywood sequels being something of a mixed batch and at times being nothing more than a cynical means by the Hollywood movie machine to fall churn out one souless money-making rehash after another. One could forgive movie audiences to have become apathetic after a slough of derivative Terminator and Alien sequels. However, it should have probably have come as some semblance of good will that there may have been some hope that this belated follow-up took so long to get off the ground. Rather than being rushed into production no sooner had its predecessor had done the box office rounds. Wanting there to be a script that the director and his returning cast could agree upon as doing some justice to what had gone before. And with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, that I say that while it doesn't quite live up to the 1988 original, is better than what it may have horrendously been.
Not least because of Keaton who steps back into the shows of the eponymous Beetlejuice, once again in brilliantly offbeat form. It feels as if never left the role and that he's more than glad to be back in the supernatural saddle. With Ryder, returning in what I would probably call her career best role as Lydia. Although she is upstaged not just by Keaton but Catherine O' Hara, who herself returns as Lydia's stepmother Delia from the first movie. And then there's the introduction of Astrid with Jenny Ortega channeling the same kind of rebellious spunk and apathy as exhibited by Ryder thirty-six years before. The movie plot which in all fairness is nothing more than an engineered means to reunite all of its characters sees them returning to the small town of River Winter after the untimely death of Lydia's father Charles.
However pf course, when it comes to Burton's own visionary, Gothic knack for world building, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice tops the original thanks to mind-blowing up to date special effects that doesn't go overboard on the CGI. Relying partially on some wonderful practical effects, that appears to be all too rare these days. Imaginative flurries being Beetlejuice overseeing an office of "bio-exorcists", occupied with various shrunken-headed ghosts named "shrinkers" tasked with answering phones, Followed by a other-worldy subway station where Ghosts await to be carried to the Great Beyond on the Soul Train. Burton reinstates much of the idiosyncratic, macabre and peculiar charm that resonated with fans of what had come before.
Where the movie stalls is that it overindulges for affording one several story strand too many that jockey against one another to remain afloat against the other. Chief of the others being the incorporation of Beetlejuice's ex-wife Delores who, in life, was a mysterious soul-sucking witch. An arc that really serves little purpose to the overall plot. She is given little to do but hunt and deflate the ghostly unfortunately who fall foul to her soul sucking powers. Her story never really going anywhere beyond that. As is the addition of Willem Dafoe's Wolf Jackson, a Ghost Detective investigating Delores Ghostly crimes. Who, is there to further prop up Delore's plot which in of itself offers little in the way of interest ot substance. Making his own pretty redundant, and despite Dafoe's (an actor who I greatly admire) best noble efforts, he can do nothing to wring much of anything of interest from his unnecessary character.
One character narrative curve that the movie takes that makes for a welcome, and offers an unexpected twist is the adage of Jeremy Frazier (Arthur Conti), a teenage boy that Astrid befriends becomes her potential love interest. One which goes down a path that takes a refreshing route against the conventional. Although if it does take a miss-step, in so far is that it's tied up all too fast and abruptly. Overall Burton still as his reputation, manages to keep the pace at an even heel, managing as he does to not let it get too ahead of itself. Unashamedly throwing in a couple of musical interludes into the mix. An elaborate subway dance-a-thon to the song Love Train.attempting to rival, more smaller in scope but still legendary Banana boat dinner scene.
Justin Theroux Isn't totally unwelcome as Lydia's pretentious and smarmy producer boyfriend, but you don't need a crystal ball to see where his relationship with her, is heading from the offset. Managing to be infinitely more obnoxious that what Charles and Delia ever were. The wheels are set in motion from the word go, with there being a whiff of sulphur hanging in the hair.
Throw in a nice little surprise cameo from an old Hollywood veteran, no stranger to Burton and you get Beetlejuice Bettlejuice. A movie chalk full of no shortage of grim visual gags and humour as a half eaten shark attack victim to impaling's. As if it could even exist without any of this iconic black charm. It's not a focused or as disciplined in it's storytelling, which with the original providing the old adage is less is more. This is still good fun, largely thanks to Keaton who makes every scene count and although invested with more screen time. Never overstays his welcome.
Brüno (2009)
Not as inspired as Borat but it still hits more than it misses
After disgracing himself in front of his fan base, Gay Austrian fashion guru Bruno decides to move to Los Angeles in his desire for fame and adulation. Joining him is his loyal assistant Lutz who believes Bruno has what it takes to make it big in the U. S. However, the path to greatness doesn't exactly run smooth as he sparks one too many outrageous situations after another. Rubbing one too many people up the wrong way as he stretches the boundaries of decorum and good taste.
After the critical and commercial success of Borat, it was little surprise that Sasha Baron Cohen would revisit the semi-nonfictional format that had worked so brilliantly before. This time with Brüno. A Gay Austrian fashion guru who crosses over the other side of the Atlantic accompanied by his TV show, Funkyzeit in the hopes of achieving major Hollywood stardom. If you're familiar with Borat then you'll know this won't be for the prudish, and even at that Cohen really out did himself here and was at his most outrageous.
From offending the tastes of a TV focus group to the raunchy shenanigans of a TV show he wants commissioned, and then appearing on a Jerry Springer fashioned talk show, consisting of a conservative all black audience. Boasting how he could get any guy he wanted, and announcing to them that he has an adopted black son named O. J. he's not afraid to push the envelope as well as the race and homophobia buttons.
It's all interspersed with scenes involving the side-story involving Brüno's homoerotic proclivities and his his semi-professional relationship with his gay assistant, Lutz. Although occasionally making their mark, they at times feel like unnecessary padding. There's also times some of his targets feel undeserving of his self styled pranks, while a scene where the gay wannabe star conducts interviews. Speaking with parents of child models, asking if their toddlers would be ready to lose weight, undergo liposuction, operate "antiquated heavy machinery" or "amateur science", or dress in Nazi uniforms. It's a scene that is one not not much rib-tickling but is in fact bone-chilling in how they are willing to be complicit in his requests, so as to profit through exploiting their kids.
Inspired moments with Brüno being taught by a Karate instructor, in how to defend himself against a gay man wielding two dildos are so absurd, not least because the apparent lack of bemusement from a man who must rank as the most gullible guy imaginable Then there's when he visits to a gay conversion therapy, where he concludes if he's going to be successful that he has to pray the gay away are sublimely hilarious. It all culminates in a jaw dropping final act where our camp anti-hero attends a pro-straight cage fight match which reaches its crescendo. A moment so jaw-dropping it's by turns blisteringly funny as it is horrifying to watch.
Cohen doesn't quite reach the dizzying heights he has before as it lacks quite the focused discipline in regards to the same kind of satirical intentions that he had with Borat. However when his vulgar unapologetic means to shock provoke the right response from some of his target he hits it big, and it with astute panache.
Red Dwarf (1988)
A once great cult science-fiction sitcom set back by unforeseen misfortune
The creation of Doug Naylor and Rob Grant, Red Dwarf was something of an underdog as a sitcom when it aired on BB2 back in 1988. Combining both sci-fi and some elements of what was then contemporary alternative comedy. The odds of it were definitely against it being a success. The only series that comes to mind, that embraced both genres, having been Douglas Adam's seminal The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It has quite possibly influenced the work of a certain Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, as well as a host of other comedy/science-fiction writers.
Chronicling both the adventures and misadventures of Dave Lister, (the charmingly unpretentious and amiable Craig Charles) a directionless space bum, who works as a vending ship repair man on the Mining Ship Red Dwarf in the year 2181. Supervised by his smarmy and anally retentive second-class technician Arnold J. Rimmer (a brilliant Chris Barrie). Rimmer is despised by everyone, not least of all Lister with the two often butting heads. And with ambitions going beyond his meager talents, he has failed the entrance exam to become an officer 13 times.
After Lister is placed into stasis (a form of suspended animation that freezes time) after refusing to give up an unquarantined cat that he smuggled aboard the ship. A radiation leak wipes out the entire crew, due to Rimmer having failed to properly fit a drive plate. 3 million years later, Lister is released from Stasis by Holly (Norman Lovett) the ship's deadpan and erratic ships computer. 485 light-years from Earth, and finding himself in the company of Rimmer who has been brought back to life as a hologram, and Cat (Danny John Jules), a being that is descended from the offspring of Lister's Cat Frankenstein, who is revealed to have been pregnant.
The show chronicles their attempts at returning back to Earth, which in itself might be impossible as after millennia upon millennia, will have ceased to exist. But with this being Science-fiction anything is, and fairly often was possible.
With the first two series of the show, the format of the show was somewhat contrary to the later four of its initial run. Opening each week with a narrative update by Holly, but not before a solemn opening sequence. One which had the camera pan over the immense exterior structure of the mining ship, while a melancholy and more dramatic version of its catchy and iconic theme tune played over it. Suffice it to say, that despite its offbeat and idiosyncratic humour, the show was underpinned by some moments of bitter-sweet poignancy. There's the tragedy of Lister, never having told the woman he loved Kristine Kochanski (Clare Grogan), who was the navigation officer aboard Red Dwarf, how he felt. While Rimmer confides in Lister about his tough upbringing, having been raised by an aloof mother, and his dictatorial, idiosyncratic father. Having received a letter from his matriarch that he has passed away.
These more quietly affecting interludes complemented and contrasted the abnormal and quirky plots of each half-hour episode. From encountering future echoes and taking part in, an immersive, virtual reality game called Better than Life, and Lister implanting eight months of his own memories with an ex-girlfriend into Rimmer's own. It was decidedly arch and knowing in how silly it would often be. And scoring high marks in how the evolving dynamic would play out amongst its main trio, and to some extent Holly.
After the second series ended, and the third hit TV screens in 1989, a pretty major rejiggering was made to the format of the show, as well as significant plot points and a change in cast, as well as a new one added to the equation. The show's original solemn and understated opening was replaced with a title sequence, which saw a more upbeat and zestful instrumental version of its theme tune. With a montage of clips of the current series episodes to come playing in unison with it. The interior studio sets were given, a more colourful revamp, and we saw the reintroduction of the character of Kryten.
A mechanoid, previously played by David Ross who was essentially a Butler come house-maid and scientific expert, who the boys from the Dwarf had rescued from a crashed spacecraft at the start of the second series. Played like a befuddled Englishman, actor, and comedian Robert Llewellyn would step into the role. Adopting a British Columbian Canadian twang, and assuming a more "mother hen clucking", whose subservient nature was often exploited by Rimmer. Lister would go out of his way, to attempt to have his mechanoid manservant break his programming, and become his own man. Something that would become something of a running joke throughout the series. That would prove somewhat ironic in the episode DNA, considering Lister would tell Kryten, "I am what I am". And what Kytten was, what he had been created to be.
Series 3, would also usher in actress and comedian Hattie Haydridge as Holly, after the departure of Norman Lovett. The explanation for the recasting was that for some inexplicable reason, Holly had a head sex change, taking on the the appearance of Hilly. His female counterpart and former love onboard who he met in the episode, Parallel Universe. Bringing something of a more snippy, prickly demeanor to her iteration, who was often more exasperated by those she served onboard Red Dwarf. The most chief of course being the insufferable Rimmer.
Although arguably not quite as bitter-sweet as the first two series, the slightly smaller cast, and the more desolate ambiance of their more dull, and drab surroundings gave the cast more room to breathe more depth into their protagonists. Although the proceeding four series still benefitted as with the initial two, from the infrequent moments of satire as well as parody. Most notably, religion, movies the media, and personal identity, and the need for self-improvement. The episodes Polymorph, The Last Day, Timeslides, and DNA, under-scoring consummate examples of these. Although, as far as exploring the prickly, and more composite nature of the relationship between Lister and Rimmer. Marooned goes in some way in punctuating there may just be some hope for the latter while depicting that Lister,, as far from perfect, where he displays a rare moment of selfishness and deceitfulness.
After six series, and following the arrest of Craig Charles and subsequent trial in regards to an allegation of rape made against him. The series found itself unceremoniously put on hiatus. Much to the frustration of fans and no doubt the cast and writers alike. Returning four years later, it came at the cost of seeing Rob Grant resign to pursue other creative projects, with Doug Naylor staying on. While Chris Barriie returned briefly only to leave partway through to devote more time to the sitcom, The Brittas Empire which saw him in the lead title role. The void. Then being filled by the character of Kochanski, played by Chloe Annett rather than Clare Grogan. A parallel version of Grogan's version, who we never really got to know on screen. Annett's interpretation was more prissy and pretentious, as opposed to the more likable, and grounded one as portrayed in the novelized books based on the series which both Grant and Naylor wrote. Developing a semi-hostile/cordial relationship with the remaining crewmembers. The least harmonious, and more confrontational being with Kryten. Series 7 saw a massive decline in quality, not least because it dispensed with it being filmed in front of a studio audience, and adding a canned laughter track. While adopting American sitcom tropes, it lost a bit of Its British identity. A trend that continued into Its eighth but marginally better series (which saw the welcome return of Barrie).
All but abandoned by the BBC, who years later would sell the rights to the British free-to-air channel Dave. Who aired a five-part mini-series. The god-awful Back to Earth, sans Chloe Annett but keeping on Barrie. It would return for several more series, although as seen in the five-parter. Nothing could be done to disguise the obvious, in that the cast had aged significantly, making it somewhat hard to suspend disbelief that they were still closer to the age they were in the final BBC broadcast. With the exception, obviously being Llwellyn seeing as he was under layers of heavy prosthetic make-up. With Grant's further lack of involvement, and although passable. It lacked the dizzyingly sublime heights of off-the-wall comedy it had become renowned amongst fans and critics alike. With, only the 90-minute TV movie special The Promised Land really coming close to recapturing the magic of the show at its pinnacle.
Four years after its airing, the fate of the series now seems to be up in the air, and the longer the gap between it, and a potential future series grows, the more unlikely it appears that it will, like the crew of the mining ship in Series 8, be resurrected. It is sad, that due to the misfortune that stalled it. It will probably never receive a proper, satisfying finale that will tie ie up all the loose ends, and give the boys from, the Dwarf an appropriate, and I dare say, an emotional farewell. The only consolation will be that the fans will have to look to the novelizations for any kind of resolution to the overall story arc. Red Dwarf represents the quintessential cult British Sci-Fi comedy sitcom.
Doctor Who: Survival: Part One (1989)
Anthony Ainley returns in an excellent, nihilistic finale to the classic series
The Doctor takes Ace back to the London district of Perivale where she grew up. Thinking that his young friend has wanted to visit her former home which he discovers to be quite the contrary. For Perivale Is hardly the most exciting place in the world. Or at least it didn't used to be. Which, the duo soon discover when they are informed of a spate of mysterious disappearances that have recently taken place in the last few weeks. Some of which are old friends that Ace grew up with. Intruiged the Doctor endeavors to uncover what is behind people seemingly vanishing off the face of the Earth. But doing so ends up getting the cosmic time traveler wrapped up in a deadly game of survival on another world. Pitting himself and his young companion against a race of cat-like creatures called the Cheetah people. And an old adversary from the Time Lord's past.
The third and final part of the Ace trilogy, Survival also marked the final serial in the show's 26 year year run, having been axed by Michael Grade who was then controller of the BBC. The series never fully returned for another sixteen years, although a pilot for a proposed series was co-produced between BBC Worldwide and Universal Studios, airing in 1996 on both sides of the Atlantic. And only proved to be a ratings flop in the States, although it pulled in over 9 million viewers in the UK.
This three-parter, written by Rona Munro was initially intended to be the second serial of the 26th series, coming after Battlefield and would then, by followed by The Curse of Fenric and then Ghost Light. Although both it and the latter story were eventually swapped around which would prove somewhat apt given its very last scene.
It sees the Doctor finally taking Ace to her home district of Perivale in West London. A seemingly dull and innocuous place, that Ace says she didn't want to return to because as she states with indifference, "Nothing ever happens here". On the contrary to this remark, Perivale has experienced a spate of mysterious disappearances of Its local residents. Some of which are old friends of Ace's. Of course, It's not long before the Doctor is on the case, as he sets about investigating what or who is behind people inexplicably vanishing without a trace. That brings, the Time Lord and his youthful companion coming into contact with Sgt. Patterson (Julian Holloway). A tactless and callous former T. A.solider, who believes in the old false axiom of there being the survival of the fittest.
Featuring relatively brief guest turns from the old adult comedy double-act of Gareth Hale and Norman Pace (Hale & Pace), who were at the height of their careers in 1989. Playing shopkeepers, Len and Harvey, they essentially offer a bit of light relief in what is an otherwise dark and nihilistic outing for both the Doctor and Ace.
Survival is also noteworthy in that it features the last television appearance of Anthony Ainley, as the Time Travelling alien's old nemesis, and fellow Gallifreyan The Master. Although he would reprise the role one last time for the PC computer game, Destiny of the Doctors before his death, in 2004.
This however stands out amongst all of the serials involving the Master, in so much that this time around he is not out to take over the world, or has some other lofty scheme in the seek of power. Having found himself stranded on the planet of the Cheetah People, a race of teleporting anthropomorphic creatures resembling, well Cheetahs. Transporting between the planet which, as the Master describes as being "frayed around the edges", and Perivale where they stalk and carry their prey to their desert world. Where they finally hunt them down and mercilessly despatch them. The Doctor's old rival's goal is self-preservation, as he wishes to survive and escape what has pretty much become one big prison for him. Thus this depicts him at his most ruthless and dangerous, as this was the man who in the classic 4 part, 1976 story, The Deadly Assassin attempted to destroy his own home world as a means to preserve his own life. Such is the immensity of his narcissism.
This showcases Ainley at his very zenith in the role of the iconic villain, as Survival compliments the very nature of not only the Master but this iteration of the antagonist. Here, every facet of his character is brilliantly realized. Having previously been reduced to being a one-dimensional moustache twirling, villain (at the insistence of then show-runner John Nathan Turner), here is afforded the chance to play him as he always should have. Cunning, ruthless, and single-minded, and relentless in pursuing his goal. And whose symbolically animalistic nature results in him giving in to the planet, and slowly transforming into a Cheetah person. It also boasts an excellent guest appearance from Julian Holloway, who is wonderfully toxic as the pompous and overbearing Sgt. Patterson. Sporting, a thoroughly convincing Glaswegian brogue, which Sylvester McCoy, a genuine Scot himself praised for its authenticity.
Comprising of further strong support by more obscure and younger, but no less gifted acting talent that is made up of Will Barton, David John, and Sakuntala Ramanee. With, the first and former of them making the biggest impression, as his degeneration into a predatory pet of the Master is chillingly brought to life.
McCoy himself is for the most part solid, although as is his propensity, he does overdo it in scenes where he has to show extreme emotion. Resorting to histrionics which feel stilted. Especially in a scene where a fight breaks out between the remaining stranded potential prey from Perviale and their fierce hunters. Sophie Aldred on the other hand really comes into her own here as Ace. Having dispensed with the last vestiges of the immature youth that she was once, but still retains her rebellious, defiant personality. She was never completely convincing as a post-pubescent teenage girl and is more thoroughly believable as a more headstrong valiant young woman. Having matured significantly after her traumatic experiences in The Curse of Fenric. Cast is topped off by the fleeting inclusion of an eight-year-old Adele Silva of Emmerdale fame as Midge's much younger little sister, nicknamed Squeak.
It might be observed that Munro was in some way inspired in her writing, by William Golding's novel The Lord of the Flies. In so much as it depicts to some degree a descent into nihilism and savagery. Encompassing themes of morality and the struggle between order and chaos. There is also the relationship between Ace and Karra (Lisa Bowerman), a Cheetah person who the former develops a powerful bond with. The implied lesbian subtext of their relationship although never overtly stated is understated in how it's rendered., although fairly apparent and pretty daring for what was a 1980s family show.
Where director Alan Waering does let down the side a tad is a horrible wide shot, involving the Doctor and Midge on motorbikes that comes across as overly stagey. And, the animatronic puppetry effects for the feline kitlings look downright ropey. Even by the standards of a 1980s TV series. However, I'm willing to forgive these quibbles, as the rest of Survival, which originally had the working title of Catflap, along with Ghost Light just falls short short a smidge of being the best serial of series 26. With the Curse of Fenric earning that honour.
Topped off by a beautifully delivered final speech by McCoy. Like Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains in the 1942 classic Casablanca. It sees both the Doctor and Ace walking off into the distance, and looking ahead to further adventures. Ones which were planned by JNT and script editor Andrew Cartmel but sadly never came to fruition. I do wish we got that 27th series which would have seen the departure of Sophie Aldred midway through and would have seen the return of the Time Lords as well as the Ice Warriors. As well as the introduction of a safe-cracking new companion. Who the Doctor would take under his wing. But alas it was never to be, but at least the series went out on a high, and you couldn't ask for better than that.
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fenric: Part One (1989)
A superb political allegory that exploits Norse mythology loosely to great effect
The Doctor and Ace arrive at a Naval base on the coast of Northumberland towards the end of World War II. The Time Lord and his young companion pretend to be from the war office. The purpose, of which is that the Doctor wishes to meet the wheel-chair, bound Dr. Judson whose work at breaking German Cyphers is very important to the war effort. This is achieved through the use of the Ultima machine. An invention of the crippled geniuses. Unknown however to the Doctor, Ace and Judson. A platoon of Russian soldiers led by Captain Sorin have secretly arrived on the coast of Northumberland. Their goal: To steal the Ultima Machine. But unknown to the Doctor. The theft of the Ultima Machine has been partly devised by Commander Millington. The base's supreme commanding officer. A ruthless, military man who is unnaturally obsessed with Norse Mythology. For centuries ago a Viking ship moored on the very shores, next to where the base stands. Carrying with it an evil curse. The Time Lord soon realizes he and everyone else on the base are embroiled in a deadly game. One that began centuries ago and will finally come to an end on the shores of England.
The second part of the Ace Trilogy, which explored in some way, the past of the Seventh Doctor's young companion, Ace. An extended version of this four-parter would be released on VHS that incorporated about six minutes of extra material into the original narrative. It was followed in 2003 by a DVD release that included a 'Special Edition' edited into a single movie-length feature, with new special effects, re-editing of some scenes, and 12 minutes of unbroadcast footage. It revolves around the Doctor and Ace arriving at a naval base off the coast of Northumberland toward the end of World War II. The Doctor assumes the identity of an official from the war office. Essentially a story that examines the horrors of war, and the justification used in regards to the use of nuclear weaponry against Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The Curse of Fenric thematically carries an anti-war message, casting a spotlight on the futility, and the obscenity concerning it. Some of the deleted footage in the extended version include the Doctor having a more substantial confrontation with the Great Haemovore, and the decomposing remains of Haemovores with wooden stakes having been driven through them.
Written by Ian Briggs, who has penned the trite and lamentably bad Dragonfire. He offers up a surprisingly intelligent, and thought provoking yarn. Borrowing aspects of Norse mythology that he weaves into the narrative. Having been the writer who created and introduced the Seventh Doctor's headstrong and impetuous companion, Ace, it comes as no surprise that the story falls back on Dragonfire in explaining how she came to find herself essentially stranded on the planet of Iceworld. While revealing little details of her past, and how Ace becomes pivotal in influencing her own personal future.
Sublimely incorporating aspects of both Norse and Vampire mythology, while Including a wealth of compelling and nuanced characters, who are painted with shades of grey. It's one big metaphor for how humanity is blacked and corrupted by the evils of war, Illustrating as with Francis Ford Coppola's classic masterpiece, Apocalypse Now the absurdity and futility of it.
Representing the uncompromising and single-mindedness of military authority, Millington is a man who has for too long stared into the black abyss, becoming corrupted by it. With his friend and his fellow former school contemporary Dr. Judson. Briggs based him on Alan Turing. The writer who at the time was unable to depict homosexuality in a family TV show, symbolized Judson's frustration at being unable to express his genuine sexual identity into his bitterness at being disabled. Millington, who himself was to be depicted as being gay, is a man consumed with anger and hatred. It is this that he transfers to the rage and the atrocities he commits.
In Captain Sorin, (Tomek Bork) a Russian solider who commands a covert squad tasked with stealing the Ultima Machine, (which is based on the code-breaking Enigma Machine. Which was utilized to decode German Cyphers), we have a stirring and courageous figure who is something of a morally ambiguous. His faith in the Russian Revolution. Something, that was responsible for the deaths of millions of the nation's people. One might presume he was unaware of the countless lives and the atrocities carried out in the name of the Stalinist communist regime. Although it may be seen as naive to think otherwise.
The Doctor is arguably at his most manipulative here, and the metaphorical game that he plays with the evil entity Fenric is symbolic of how politicians of every country use soldiers as pawns in one big game. Sylvester McCoy gives perhaps his best overall performance in the series to date. Being comparatively more restrained than in previous turns he has given in the past.
Sophie Aldred is pretty decent here as well and is in feisty form as Ace. With a moment where she challenges her figurative paternal figure due to his lack of transparency. Although on the odd rare moment, the dialogue she is given does her no favors ("Who do you think you are, armpit?!)" Nevertheless, she has a crowning moment, where she displays a new maturity when she uses her feminine wiles to distract a young guard to assist in freeing an imprisoned Captain Sorin. Having previously informed the Doctor, "Professor, I'm not a little girl." While, guest actor, Nicholas Parsons delivers a standout accomplished showcase in fine acting as the morally conflicted Rev. Wainwright. A man struggling to reconcile his faith in God with the horror and violence going on around him and within the war itself.
The Curse of Fenric highlights exemplary storytelling despite one or two minor shortcomings. Quibbles aside, it like Ghost Light marked a bold step in the direction that Andrew Cartmell wanted to take the series. Darker and a bit more gritty, it was and still is a testament to how the show could deal with more adult and political themes, and still appeal to Its core audience both young and old. It's just a shame that after the series finale, Survival it would be axed due to the machinations of then BBC controller Michael Grade. A man so shortsighted in his lack of respect for the series, that he went out of his way to sabotage it. This serial displays how against the odds, John Nathan-Turner and Andrew Cartmell managed to pull several figurative rabbits from the hat with the last three stories of the 26th and final series.
Doctor Who: Ghost Light: Part One (1989)
A superb opening serial to the Ace Trilogy
The Doctor takes Ace to Gabriel Chase. An old Victorian house which stands in the teenagers home town of Perivale. But the location and the name of the house are unknown to Ace as the Doctor has an ulterior motive for bringing her to the sinister building. As they make their presence in the house known to those who reside within Its walls. The Doctor and his companion discover an odd assortment of characters. There is Josiah Samuel Smith. An ambitious and ruthless man, and who is not what he seems. Redvers Fenn Cooper, an eccentric explorer who saw something in the cellar of Gabriel Chase and has gone mad as a result. Josiah's Butler Nimrod strongly resembles a Neanderthal. The stern housekeeper, Mrs. Pritchard, and Josiah's pretty but unusual Niece Gwendoline. And then there is Control. A 'depraved monstrosity' as Josiah insists. A mysterious creature that is kept locked away in the Cellar of Gabriel Chase. Along with what seems to be a large stone spaceship that contains a dark secret. All are connected to Gabriel Chase in some mysterious way. And to events that are linked to Ace's personal past. A hundred years in the future.
The first part of what would come to be known as the Ace trilogy, which also comprised of the stories The Curse of Fenric and Survival. Ghost Light, pretty much cemented the vision that script editor had for the series. Penned by Marc Platt who would also go on to write the Doctor Who: New Adventures novel, Lungbarrow. It's something of a traditional haunted house story, given a fresh new Sci-fi spin. A gothic horror story that see's Sylivester McCoy's wily and manipulative seventh incarnation taking Ace to Gabriel Chase in 1883. A house that se would burndown 100 years later, although from her perspective, and the whole timey wimey conceit that Steven Moffat during his tenure as executive producer twenty odd years later, has already happened. The story revolves around the Doctor attempting to piece together what drove her to do so, while uncovering the hidden dark secrets and an ancient evil that resides with the Victorian household.
Right from the start, director Alan Waering who had previously worked on The Greatest Show in hte Galaxy and also helmed Survival, establishes a brooding, ominous ambiance. There's all the tropes associated with the Haunted House genre that Waering utilizes to sublime effect. Dark corridoors, a chillding ghostly score and a ghostly apparation which makes it's presence known in the the cliffhanger climax of Part Two.
As with The Greatest Show in the Galaxy and The Happiness Patrol. Ghost Light comprises of an ensemble off quirky, offbeat characters. From Ian Hogg's sinister and ruthless Josiah Samuel (Ian Hogg) Smith, Michael Cochrane's unhinged explorer Redvers Fenn Cooper who saw something in the basement of Gabriel Chase, and drove him to insanity. Then there's Nimrod (Carl Forgione), Josiah's Neanderthal butler, followed by Control (Sharon Duce), the third crewmember of a crashed alien spacecraft and who is Josiah's prisoner, rounded off by the stern housekeeper Mrs. Pritchard (Sylvia Syms) and Gewndoline (Katharine Schlesinger), Josiah's ward. Each of whom are just as quirky and eccentric as the eponymous Time Lord, and who compliment the bizarre mood of the story.
Ghost Light's plot is a riddle wrapped around an enigma, in three parts which amounts to an hour and quarter in length, Platt manages to cram in a complex narrative that is quite simply mindbending. With a steady supply of twists and turns and everything not being quite what it seems. The cast give superbly, idiosynchratic performances, with lead guest actor Ian Hogg fittingly menacing and commanding as the scheming Josiah. While Michael Cochrane and Sharon Duce wonderfully ham things up as Redvers Fenn Cooper and Control respectively.
When Light, played with camp adundance by John Hallam is where the plot then takes a philosophical turn. With McCoys Doctor in complative mode. Challenging the alien apparition on his obtuse opposition to evolotion, and how it is ultimately futile. A deranged and sociopathic mostrosity, Light ranks with Fenric as one of the greatest antagonists of the McCoy era. An abomination with an unmitigated cod complex who flies in the face of creation itself.
McCoy as with previous outings appears to be enjoying himself here, although he does chew the scenery a tad too much, especially in an early confrontation with Light. However he's given some inspired dialogue to work with. Especially his speech about what he hates in a lovelt scene with Sophie Aldred's Ace. Aldred is fine, but is and really was never fully convincing as a teenage girl having been in her late twenties by the time this serial aired. She does however as was always the case, some solid chemistry with McCoy. With there being the kind of pseudo-Uncle/Neice dynamic that the Doctor and his youthful companion have.
There's also some cheeky black humour peppered throughout, with Smith's referring to Frank Windsor's Inspector MacKenzie as "The Cream of Scotland Yard" with absolute relish. As well as some grim, dark horror that has always been assocated with the series. Bringing to to mind Robert Holme's own Victorian set classic The Talons of Weng Chiang.
If there is another slight quibble, it's why would Josiah think assassinating Queen Victoria would restore the British Empire to it's former glory. Nevertheless, Ghost Light along with the rest of the Ace trilogy represents the pinnacle of the McCoy era, and that of Andrew Cartmel's stint as script editor for the series. A genuinely befuddling story, but in the best way possible. It demands repeat performances to truly get to grips with it. It's like a rubbick's cube that needs to be solved, and one that will keep you glued to the screen until the end credits proceed to role.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
Freddy goes out with a whimper
An amnesiac teenager named John Doe due to him not knowing who is, is found by police and taken to a bus shelter for troubled youths. Becoming the patient of Dr. Maggie Burroughs, who seeks to help him learn his true identity. Learning that he is from the town of Springwood, which is now sharing a mass psychosis. She takes him there, with three other residents of the shelter, Tracy, Carlos, and Spencer stowing away in the van that is taking them there. They soon wish they hadn't as the spirit of the dead serial killer Freddy Krueger who is confined to the town and wants to break free. Preying on each of them, having already slaughtered all of the children of the town. Maggie sets out to put a stop to Freddy's evil machinations, but in doing so she finds a long-buried secret about her past.
What is technically the final part of the Elm Street continuity, what with Wes Craven's self-referential metaphysical New Nightmare coming two years later. This sixth outing for the razor-gloved, fedora-wearing Freddy Krueger, sees him still very much up to his old tricks. Although he was seemingly laid to rest at the end of The Child. But though and behold he is very much back again with no clear explanation as to how. Something that had become a regular trend with its' sequels post-Dream Warriors. Having wiped out all of the children of Springwood bar teenager John Doe (Shon Greenblatt) who essentially becomes bait to reel in some fresh new victims and whom has a particular interest in confronting Maggie (Lisa Zane, sister of actor Billy Zane). The movie, with Rachel Talalay, who would later go on to direct episodes of Doctor Who upon it's return, helming this time. It serves obviously to drop the curtain on the Elm Street franchise for good. Although, Krueger would of course later appear in the 2003 Horror franchise crossover, Freddy Vs Jason which saw him trade blows with the machete-wielding, Hockey-masked Jason Vorhees.
In all honesty, and as I have previously stated, the franchise should have finally been put to sleep (pun very much intended) with Part Three. But when it comes to a cash cow, you can't keep a good dog down, unfortunately. Unashamedly goofy, the franchise by this time had descended into what is for the most part bad comedy. Although there is admittedly, one hilarious moment where Freddy stalks one of his young victims who is deaf. Each of those who fall under his prey, who really should have the words Dead Meat tattooed on their foreheads. One of who, Spencer is played by a very young Breckin Meyer who would of course have another supporting role, albeit smaller, five years later in The Craft.
It also features a brief cameo from Johnny Depp, one of the cast members from the first movie, as rock star Alice Cooper, putting in an appearance as Freddy's violently abusive foster father. And former husband and wife comedy team, Tom Arnold and Roseanne Barr as a couple of the unhinged town members of Springwood. But here is where all the fun that lyeth stops. The cast for the most part deliver their lines with all the conviction of a block of wood, with only Robert Englund, who is reliably having fun, and the late Yaphett Koto who brings some gravitas to what is an otherwise silly and stilted last hoorah! The plot, involving the whole of Springwood's child population having been decimated is a clear final attempt to breathe one final ounce of breath into a franchise that had already died a death after The Dream Warriors. The gimmicky nature of it.
There is some semblance of creativity in terms of Freddy's kills, the most notably elaborate having the dream stalker entrap Spencer in a video game which showcases what was then some flashy and impressive visual effects. Topped off with Its even more gimmicky inclusion of a 3-D in its final 20 minutes. This is all just window dressing that can't compensate for a leaky script and some even leakier acting. As is what's supposed to be a revelatory twist, which feels more like a cheap plot device. It's there to transparently put an intriguing angle on the combative relationship between Freddy and one of its protagonists. However, it just doesn't deliver as the movie doesn't as an overall whole.
It's not as overwhelmingly dire as The Dream Child, or as tawdry as The Dream Master, just matching Freddy's Revenge in terms of quality. And even then that is damning it with some very faint praise as they didn't exactly set a very high bar. And by the time the final credits, which displays a montage of clips from the previous movies. An attempt to end it on a nostalgic final note. It on;y partially serves to remind us how much better the first movie, that started it all really was. It's just sad by this time the franchise had become a dead horse that was being well and truly flogged. They saved the best for last, the tagline would say. Boy, was it wrong!
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999)
A sporadically funny bad taste comedy that's not for the easily offended
Deuce Bigalow is a lowly aquarium cleaner, who has as much luck in his love life as he does financially. When his path crosses with a handsome male Giggolo who asks him to watch his fish while he is away on business, his life takes an unexpected turn. Accidentally wrecking the man's house, Deuce figures the only way to make enough money quickly to repair the damage is to become a gigolo himself. During his new cash-making venture he takes on some bizarre clientele, as well as being taken under the wing of an experienced pimp. However, things don't go entirely smoothly as he hits a couple of snags. He falls in love with one of his clients and is being hounded by a relentless police officer who is determined to slap the cuffs on him.
The first comedy vehicle for comedian and actor Rob Schneider who had previously only had supporting roles in Home Alone 2, The Beverly Hillbillies, and as Sylvester Stallone's comic relief sidekick in Judge Dredd. It also marked his first as a comedy-co-writer. Off the wall, and with a dose of gross-out, black comedy in steady supply. It probably should probably come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his standup that It's definitely one for those who are easily offended. It's one, that would most likely raise the ire of the woke far left. With Schneider's titular Deuce Bigalow, finding himself in a difficult situation where he has to raise $6,000 to repair a broken aquarium, fearing the wrath of Antoine (Oded Fehr), a gigolo. In desperation, he turns to, becoming a gigolo himself, with his clients being an assortment of women which include Fluisa, a mannish morbidly obese woman; narcoleptic Carol; Ruth, who has Tourette syndrome with coprolalia; and Tina, who is extremely tall. Like I said, this is not one for the easily offended.
What stands it in some good stead is the central performance from Schneider, who is both affable, and likable bringing some measure of insecurity and sympathy. He's a thirty-something guy who is unmarried and has no success whatsoever with the opposite sex. Finding himself in the employ of T. J., a pimp played by Eddie Griffin in amusingly sleazy form. Who imparts words of wisdom, telling Deuce never to fall in love with one of his clients. Of course, this is a foreshadowing of things to come as that's precisely what happens when he meets Kate. A girl, whose friends have paid the amiable gigolo to go on a date with her, and which she is completely unaware of. Things begin to look up for Deuce, but then as is his luck, the course of true love doesn't exactly run smoothly. And to add to his problems, which are increasing he's dogged by an obsessive, police detective named Chuck Fowler (William Forsythe).
What proves problematic with Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, is that while it has a decent setup, and some genuinely humourous scenarios. The silly, low-brow humour at times descends, at times in the witless depths of the overly absurd. Sporadically funny, but just as sporadically inane it's exceedingly patchy. I would say it does Schneider a disservice as a comedic leading man if it were not for the fact that he has to shoulder part of the blame. Seeing as he shares screenwriting duties with Harris Goldberg. So there part of the buck has to lie, stop with him. Worse still is that Forsythe as the hotheaded Chuck Fowler overeggs his volatility to the point that it becomes excruciating. The rest of the cast fares better with Arija Bareikis who is sweet, charming, and vulnerable as Kate. With Richard Riehele, delivering the goods as Deuce's eccentric restaurant attendant father. And kudos has to go to my Poehler for her impressive turn as the Tourette-suffering Ruth. Also look out for brief cameos from both Norm Macdonald and regular Schnieder collaborator, Allen Covert.
Where it does score points is that while the comedy does come at the expense of his clients, is how Deuce helps them overcome their insecurities, making them feel better by themselves so that there is a layer of warmth to the movie. It's just a shame it lapses into the infantile on one too many an occasion. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo is tolerable, if forgettable, and lamentably the high point of Rob Schneider's movie career. Having piggy-backed somewhat off of the slightly more successful career of his friend and fellow comic, Adam Sandler, this was as good as it got for him.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
The Coen's quirky and offbeat if inconsistent Western anthology in terms of quality
In this anthology set in the 19th century in the post-civil war, United States, in the harsh cruel surroundings of the wild-west, six separate stories involving several different people are told. From the Ballad of Buster Scruggs to the Mortal Remains. T
The first stab by the Brothers Coen at the anthology genre with this offbeat western. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs gets off to a strong start with it's opening story sharing the same title as the movie. It's typically quirky and idiosyncratic in the cartoonish vein of their earlier movies, The Hudsucker Proxy and O' Brother Where Art Thou. Tim Blake Nelson is on gleefully amiable and upbeat form as the titular Buster Scruggs whose cheery demeanor disguises a cavalier disregard for human life. The abrupt moments of violence are comical as they are bloody and the brief musical interludes never feel intrusive, succeeding in complimenting the quirky tone. One that carries, into the next vignette entitled Near Aglodones but is more lacking in subsequent ones which are darker weighty, or poignant in tone.
The forthcoming Two Meal Ticket and All Gold Canyon still retain Coen's unconventional quirkiness although are less rewarding, lacking the infectious whimsy that made the previous stories more absorbing. The plot's of the later vignette's are also dull in comparison and with little if any point to it, despite excellent performances from Tom Waits and Harry Melling, the latter having something that could be categorized as a minimalist role given the physical nature of his protagonist.
The penultimate tale, The Gal Who Got Rattled is more of a step in the right direction in tackling a story with more gravitas and is more melancholy and poignant. Zoe Kazan is in beautifully sympathetic form as the shy, demure sister of an inept businessman whose sudden death as they travel to Oregon via a Wagon Train. It leaves her in a financial predicament, that is until the gentlemanly, handsome leader of the Train she has befriended offers her a proposal. This is an elegantly told offering with the rustic beauty of the western plains, adding a tranquility to the overall ambiance. There's a gentle, palpable chemistry between Kazan and Bill Heck who plays her charming, rugged admirer which is touching as well as captivating. The plot however soon takes a sharp twist with a payoff grimly out of left field.
The final offering, The Mortal Remains movie is a minimalist piece, the majority of which is set within the confines of a stagecoach. Concerning five very different passengers, an Englishman, an Irishman, a Frenchman)and a fur trapper. Very much a character and dialogue-driven story and as with Meal Ticket and All Gold Canyon has barely any discernible plot. Contrary to those though this is a more engrossing affair, where the confined nature of the setting and leads to apparent tension. Chelcie Ross is on fine form as the grizzled, loquacious fur trapper who rambles on endlessly. Tyne Taly playing wonderfully against type as the stuck-up, uptight lady, makes for an excellent foil, with Saul Rubinek adding to her increased frustrations as the philosophizing Frenchman. The verbal sparring potentially owes something of a debt to the work of Tarantino, Most namely Pulp Fiction but with a more quirky edge.
With Jonjo O'Neill and Brendan lending solid support as the stereotypically posh Englishman, and Brendan Gleason as his Irish traveling and work companion. This rounds up the movie rather nicely, and ironically is the only one where nobody dies but is thematically about death which is punctuated by a surreal denouement that is metaphysically ambiguous.
Although not what I would call a masterpiece, and considering I have considered the quality of the Coen's to be spotty, this marks one of their better efforts, although the consistency of the storytelling is close to being as spotty as their career output. As something of an homage to the collection of Western short stories, very much as the aforementioned Pulp Fiction was a celebration of pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels it does so with some aplomb. Even if it doesn't always quite hit the mark.
Total Recall (1990)
Covers similar themes to Verhoven's Robocop but just scratches the surface
It is the year 2084, and Doug Quaid is a construction worker who is plagued by recurring dreams about Mars and a mysterious woman. Becoming obsessed with the red planet, he goes to Rekall, a company that sells implanted memories. However, something goes wrong with the implantation, with hidden memories suddenly coming to the surface. It soon becomes apparent that Quaid's life is nothing but a charade, and he is in fact a secret agent who previously fought to bring down the tyrannical governor of the Martian colony Vilos Cohaagen. Now, Quaid finds that he must travel to the planet, uncover more about his true identity, and put an end to Cohaagen's totalitarian regime.
After the success of his 1987 hit sci-fi blockbuster Robocop, it was really no surprise that director Paul Verhoeven would return to the action/sci-fi genre. Inspired by the 1966 short story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale by Philip K. Dick. Total Recall like his previous magnum opus has similar themes in relation, to identity, and what makes us who we are. One might say it thematically also has similarities to Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep, which was later adapted into Ridley Scott's Sci-fi film-noir classic Blade Runner. Both movies after all utilized the imaginative plot device of implanted memories. Having bought the rights to Dick's short story, writer Ronald Shushett and colleague Dan O'Bannon went through sixteen years of development hell to get it on to the big screen. Due to its ambitious scope and going through multiple studios, forty script drafts, seven different directors, and multiple actors cast as Quaid. It's any wonder that the movie managed to get made at all. However, both Shushett and O'Bannon's persistence and determination would eventually pay off. And with no small thanks to the Austrian Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had long held an interest in the project convincing Carolco Pictures to purchase the rights to the movie with the intention of him starring.
With a budget of an estimated $48-80 million, it proved to be one of the most costly movies of its time, although due to it having pulled in $261.4 million worldwide it ended up being the fifth highest-grossing movie of 1990. And it's not hard to see where the money was spent. Like Robocop, Verhoeven's futuristic vision is a sleek albeit more colorful one. More far removed from the relatively contemporary near-future setting of his previous movie due to its more advanced backdrop. It's fair to say it's fairly eye-popping, not least of which when the story takes Schwarzenegger's bemused protagonist to Mars.
What hooks you in is the ambiguity that the setup creates with you left wondering whether everything is really happening, or if it's all part of the Rekall implant experience. With our hero evading agents of Cohaagen (Ronny Cox), led by his lead operative Richter (Michael Ironside). There is no shortage of fun, action setpieces, with one particularly memorable one involving a disguise-kit which is explosive, to say the least. Schwarzenegger has never been the greatest of actors, but he still has always been a consistently charismatic and likable on-screen presence, and as is his want he brings a wry charm to Quaid with his propensity for one-liners. Delivering them with a knowing cheekiness. He brings something of a down-to-earth everyman quality to him. He's ably backed with solid support from Michael Ironside as the hapless Richter, with Sharon Stone effectively seductive and charming as he is duplicitous as his pseudo-wife. While Rachel Ticotin is in sassy form as the rebel-agent and prostitute Melina, who uses her profession as a cover for her rebellious activities. Ronny Cox on the hand who previously worked with Verhoeven on Robocop as the chief villain feels as if he's playing Dick Jones again, albeit in a higher position of authority and power.
Verhoeven as with Robocop directs with ample hustle and bustle, keeping everything at a quick pace so that you're never bored. And as with the 1987 classic, there's a dose of sharp satire thrown into the mix with nods to capitalism, as well as the militarisation of the police force. There are some brains behind all the action which are as big as Schwarzenegger's biceps.
It all culminates in a final reel where Verhoeven delights in pulling the rug right from under us with a shock reveal, which will have you mentally unpicking everything that has gone before. Explaining a lot about the position that Quaid has found himself in. It's safe to say it isn't in short supply of surprises. If it is lacking in anything, it doesn't have quite the same level of depth to it as Robocop did. It merely scratches the surface in terms of Quaid struggling to come to terms with his genuine identity as Hauser. The man he was before he became the man he knows himself to be now.
Nevertheless, Total Recall is unashamed fun, enjoyable popcorn entertainment with some degree of smarts, and with its tongue somewhat in cheek, with the Johnny Cab's being delightfully cartoonish in the best possible way. With an ending that will leave you thinking long after the end credits have begun to roll.
Jasper Carrott: Back to the Front (1999)
Jasper Carrot doing what he does best
In 1999 the BBC aired this one-off six-part series, which showcased Jasper Carrot at his very best. In contrast to his previous show, Canned Carrott, that was a blend of his stand-up with an added helping of comedy skits. Back to the Front was merely one half-hour episode each week of him doing his stand-up in front of a live studio audience. Highlighting what he does best, as Canned Carrott was more patchy, with the sketch format only sporadically funny. Back to the Front proved to be more rewarding, and more often than not was sheer comedy gold.
Offering hilarious observations on women's menstrual cycles, the elderly, and people with afflictions like diabetes, dyslexia, and senility. It's safe to say his brand of politically incorrect comedy would not go over well with the woke comedy police. I dare say, it might not be one for the easily offended, but for those who enjoy comedy that's a bit more daring It's close to top-notch. Taking further swipes at David Hasselhoff as well as Bill Clinton, as well as making a saucy gag about The Spice Girls, who were at the height of their success and were never off the telly. His cheeky irrevererance is infectious as it is sharp and at times brilliantly on point.
For anyone curious enough to check the show out, it's available to purchase on DVD on Amazon as well as Ebay and I assure you, it will be money well spent. And 25 years on from when it first aired it still continues to tickle my funny bone.
A Boy and His Dog (1975)
A patchy nihilistic black sci fi comedy
After World War IV, the world has become a bleak post apocalyptic wasteland in 2024. A young man named Vic scavenges for food and sex, while accompanied by his intelligent telepathic dog, When Vic comes across a young woman named Quilla, it seems to be his lucky day. However, doing so leads him to stumble across an underground society that seeks to exploit him for their own ends.
Marking an early film role for a very young Don Johnson before he came to fame with Miami Vice. One would be forgiven for thinking that with its title, A Boy and His Dog could be confused as being a family-friendly family movie. Nothing could be further from the truth. A low-budget independent Sci-fi black comedy was based on the novella by Harlan Ellison. Directed and adapted for the screen by L. Q. Jones, a veteran actor best known for his roles in Westerns on both the small and big screen and filmed on a paltry budget of $400,000. It would become the inspiration behind George Miller's Mad Max films, especially The Road Warrior. It chronicles the exploits of Vic, a hot-headed eighteen-year-old, and his misanthropic Dog Blood, who for reasons unknown shares a telepathic link with him. The quintessential anti-hero, Vic has a misogynistic attitude and a lack of empathy towards the opposite sex. When he comes across a woman who has been brutally mutilated he displays a total disregard or put for her. As a means to satiate his own base lustful needs, he seeks out women to rape. The relationship between both he and Blood is also not always a harmonious one, proving prickly with the Dog frequently referring to Vic as "Albert" (a reference to the wholesome writer about dogs Albert Payson Terhune) as a means to annoy him.
Existing in a bleak world where social and moral order has all but collapsed. A Boy and His Dog is a look at a world that in the wake of any sense of order collapsing has given itself up to nihilism. Upon its release, it would come as no surprise that the movie would be criticized as being misogynistic, but considering the world that surrounds him, and the fact that he has had no parental upbringing, and never received any sense of moral guidance, Vic would be morally ambiguous.
Quirky and offbeat, its quirkiness does at times feel over-egged with Blue's (voiced by Tim McIntire) philosophizing at times being overplayed. When the movie's plot takes it to the underground, artificial biosphere, which seemingly has taken inspiration from Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Jones overplays his hand, as he creates a world where the eccentricity of its inhabitants, most namely its committee leader Lou Craddock (the late Jason Robards) swiftly begins to grate. While we're never given any genuine motivation behind the actions of Quilla making it feel contrived and merely a means to advance the plot.
When it does work is the relationship between both Vic and Blood that is quasi-harmonious, which while at times cordial they do butt heads. It's also delightfully unconventional as it turns the dynamic between Dog and Master on its head. With Blood being the brains and more the voice of reason between the two. Johnson is an ideal casting choice as the headstrong and callous Vic, whose only ounce of an emotional connection with anyone seems to extend to Blood. Tim McIntire who voices the sardonic Blood delivers his lines with exceptional dry cynicism, that compliments the movie's irreverent tone. With Susanne Benton an alluring presence as the duplicitous Quilla.
When it does work, well although and its quirkiness does at times work despite Jone's heavy sporadic heavy-handedness. Unapologetically nihilistic, it might leave a bad taste in the mouth for some, for those who like their protagonists to have a more grey moral compass, and with a memorably misogynistic and biting final line (which Ellison allegedly hated) that ends it on a blackly anarchic note. A Boy and His Dog is something of an accomplishment by L. Q. Jones given the budgetary restrictions that he had to work with albeit a patchy one. That will be best remembered for showcasing an early turn from Johnson.
Basic Instinct (1992)
Verhoeven's eroticism is nothing more than window dressing in this middling erotic thriller
San Francisco police detective Nic Curran is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of former rock star Johnny Box. An ex-rock star who was slain while engaged in sex with a mystery woman. While investigating the crime, Curran's path crossed that of Catherine Tramell a crime novelist who Box was dating before his death. Curran suspects her of being the murderer, but she proves to be a very clever and manipulative individual and he is unable to pin any evidence on her. When Nilsen, a rival Detective in the SFPID is found murdered, Curran suspects Tramell of being responsible. What follows is a game of cat and mouse with Tramell seemingly playing a sexually hedonistic mind game with Curran, as they embark on a torrid affair. However, as the body count increases, new evidence begins to force the Detective to reevaluate his suspicions about Tramell's guilt.
After scoring big at the box office with his sci-fi action flicks Robocop and Total Recall. Dutch director Paul Verhoeven returned to the film noir crime genre he had previously embarked on in his native Denmark with The 4th Man. An erotic thriller that is undoubtedly steamy as it is sexually provocative, it caused a stir upon its initial release. Not least because of its now famous interrogation scene, where a Sharon Stone uncrosses her legs, and the interrogating officers see more than they bargained for. It was also what would be the star-making role for Stone, who had previously worked with Verhoeven on Total Recall in the supporting role of Arnold Schwarzenegger's duplicitous pseudo-wife. Basic Instinct would mark her first major leading role, seeing her cast alongside Michael Douglas, which would find him in another sexually charged thriller having starred in the similarly sexually charged thriller, the Oscar-winning Fatal Attraction.
Needless to say, Verhoeven himself is no stranger to controversy and hasn't been scared to push the envelope with his equally contentious medieval drama Flesh and Blood having raised a few eyebrows. But for all the hoopla surrounding the film, when it's all said and done, his inclination for being a sexual provocateur can't disguise the fact that Basic Instinct is ultimately a middling neo-noir thriller. With a plot where it feels screen-writer Eszterhas is merely going through the motions with its plot. As if he's painting by numbers. All the cliches that abound are there from Douglas's gritty hard-nosed detective to Stone's sultry and flirtatious femme-fatale. A woman so sexually voracious she puts the term eat in man-eater, although sexual leanings don't end with just men. She has a female lover Roxy Hardy played by Gina Gershon. A young woman who murdered her two little brothers at the age of 16, and therefore, raising an eyebrow as to the fact that Tramell consorts with a murderess. A plot angle that raised the ire of gay activists at the time due to its perceived negative depiction of female sexuality. Although frankly, this was the least of the movie's concerns.
As a director, Verhoeven is indeed a consummate professional bringing a flashy stylistic sheen into the mix, and his aptitude for creating a steamy, intense, and moody atmosphere is palpable. But it suffers from a generic story, that attempts to throw in some potential red herrings which include Curran's psychiatrist lover, Dr. Bethh (Jeanne Tripplehorn) who eventually falls under his radar as a suspect. It feels a bit contrived.
The cast gives it all and Stone really gives it her all. Alluring as she is charismatic. With the magnetism of a sexual cougar, she positively ignites every scene that she is in. But even she, nor Douglas, who try as they might can't save the audience from lapsing into feelings of indifference. Leaving the audience with no real surprise, as we're left with one so-so twist after another until it ends on something of an underwhelming and supposedly "surprise" climax. Diverting as it is, it's a far cry from the best that Verhoeven can be capable of and a case, of that we should have gotten more than what he delivers.
Dave (1993)
Kline is a likable presence in a charming if superficial political comedy
Bill Mitchell is the philandering and distant President of the United States. Dave Kovic is a sweet-natured and caring Temp Agency operator, who by a staggering coincidence looks exactly like the President. As such, when Mitchell wants to escape an official luncheon, the Secret Service hires Dave to stand in for him. Unfortunately, Mitchell suffers a severe stroke whilst having sex with one of his aides, and Dave finds himself stuck in the role indefinitely. The corrupt and manipulative Chief of Staff, Bob Alexander, plans to use Dave to elevate himself to the White House - but unfortunately, he doesn't count on Dave enjoying himself in office, using his luck to make the country a better place, and falling in love with the beautiful First Lady..
Dave Kovic is the amiable, kind-hearted Temp Agency Operator who has an uncanny resemblance to Bill Mitchell, the arrogant and aloof President of the United States. When Mitchell wants to avoid attending a luncheon so that he may have a sexual dalliance with an aide of his. He instructs the Secret Service to hire Dave to stand in for him. Unfortunately, things take an unexpected twist when Mitchell has a stroke while having sex, and Dave finds himself having to assume his role indefinitely. Essentially becoming a puppet for the corrupt and intimidating Chief of Staff, Bob Alexander who has designs on taking over as Commander and Chief. Alexander doesn't count on Dave rebelling, as he undermines the Chief's attempts at throwing his weight around. While the false President finds himself falling for Mitchell's wife, the compassionate and attractive First Lady, Ellen.
Politics has been something that for years has been a subject ripe for comedy and satire, whether it has been Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Candidate, or Being There. Dave tonally falls into the category of being more akin to Frank Capra's 1936 comedy. In so much as it's lightweight and less cynical, scathing fare than the latter two movies. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the man behind the classic 1984 supernatural comedy Ghostbuster. This 1993 effort, that also acted as a vehicle for Kevin Kline. An actor who, no stranger to comedy, had won a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his hilarious turn as the sociopathic Nietzsche quoting Otto in the British romantic crime comedy, A Fish Called Wanda. With Dave, as with the eponymous lead protagonist he adopts a different persona. A more affable and gregarious figure, as opposed to the obnoxious and unpredictable criminal he previously played, Dave Kovic represents the American everyman who finds himself stuck in an awkward situation.
Persuaded to continue with the charade of pretending to be President Mitchell, (with Kline of course briefly in a dual role, and doing so highly convincingly) and doing so no doubt out of a sense of duty to his country. It proves to be nothing more than a tool for the machinations of the opportunistic Bob Alexander. Played here with grandiose menace by Frank Langella, who at 6ft4 in height is indeed an imposing figure. I mean, after all, this is the man who played Dracula as well as Skeletor.
Finding himself not only playing a role that is not only ethically but legally questionable, Dave also finds himself having to consistently deceive the First Lady, Ellen played with some self-assured charm and conviction by Sigourney Weaver. And that sees her again collaborating with Reitman, having previously worked with him on Ghostbusters as well as Its 1989 sequel. The chemistry between its leading man, and his love interest is more than figuratively tangible. Even if the romantic angle does feel somewhat contrived as it does formulaic.
As with Ghostbusters II, though Dave doesn't come anywhere near as close to rivaling the sublime brilliance of the iconic 80's blockbuster. It lacks the same originality, wit, and confidence that was due in part to Bill Murray who improvised most of his oneliners and other comedic moments. And that's perhaps where Dave partly falls short of the mark is that Kline while a gifted comedy actor is not a comedian with the same sharp aptitude for improvisational comedy as Murray. Therefore, it's probably a safe bet that with Dave he stuck more rigidly to its script. It might be said that as a political comedy, it lacks the same bet as similar movies of its ilk. But then this is of course because Reitman was aiming for a lighter, more mainstream family-friendly fare.
This is a shame because its premise could have been more of a damning indictment, about how political leaders lose touch with the common man. With Dave representing as I said before, the everyman who speaks and exemplifies them. The movie should have been more ironic and challenging, as we see the more idealistic warm-hearted Dave lose touch with who he is, as well as the nation's general public before with the help of Ellen he has an epiphany that proves cathartic.
As it stands though, Reitman delivers a movie that while endearing enough is pretty superficial, although he affords it some playful little moments of social commentary in regards to the media as well as Hollywood. With fleeting and slightly pointed moments of vox pops, and political commentators either championing or challenging the false commander and chief's naive vow to find everyone in the U. S. a job. Featuring very brief cameos from the well-known action star and Republican supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Oliver Stone. There's also welcome support from Charles Grodin as Dave's friend and accountant Murray Blum (a nod to Bill Murray perhaps?) who assists him in restoring funding to homeless shelter. Along with Kevin Dunn as the President's Communications Director, Alan Reed, as well as Brit thesp. Ben Kingsley who has a relatively short role as the Vice President, Gary Nance. As well as featuring a young Ving Rhames who would go on to have a prolific career as a supporting actor, as Duane Stevenson, a Secret Service agent who protects the false President. With briefer appearances from Lara Linney and Bonnie Hunt respectively.
Dave is amiable, comedy fare that had the potential to be a potent satire but goes for the easy sell. But then Perhaps Reitman, the man who has produced more undemanding terms in taxing the brain (which isn't necessarily a bad thing should have stuck to giving audiences movies more akin to Ghostbusters, Twins, and Stripes. It's inoffensive and fun but in the final analysis, it feels like a wasted opportunity.
American Beauty (1999)
A superb satirical drama on the pitfalls of contemporary American suburban life
Lester Burnham is a middle-aged husband and father of a neurotic and shallow wife and a typically sullen teenage daughter. Employed in a well-paying job he lives out a dull, miserable existence in his middle-class neighborhood. Finally being pushed to breaking point, and grown jaded with the banality and unjust office politics of his job, he quits and takes to smoking pot and finding new employment in a fast food restaurant. Embracing what it was once like to be a carefree teenager in what appears to be the ultimate mid-life crisis, in this cynical and tragic examination of the artificiality of the "American Dream".
Having cut his teeth as a theater director, before moving to the movie screen, American Beauty marked Sam Mendes's debut feature which would earn him not only critical acclaim but a win for Best Director, as earning a further gong for Best Picture. Written by Alan Ball, both he and Mendes created this dark satire on suburban cultures with added themes of forgiveness and redemption. Casting Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham, a forty-something who from the afterlife narrates in voice-over about his life before fate took it from him. A suburbanite advertising executive as well as a husband and father trapped within the confines of his unhappy marriage. Suffering a midlife crisis, and bored with the monotony of his everyday existence, he butts heads with his self-centered, neurotic, materialistic wife Carolyn (Annette Bening on brilliant form) as well as his smarmy supervisor Brad, who he eventually blackmails due to his complicity in covering up the managing director using company funds to pay for a prostitute. Leading him to quit his job, and leading him on an odyssey of essentially attempting to reclaim the youth he once had. Much to the chagrin of Carolyn as well as his a-typically sullen daughter, who is eternally embarrassed and resentful of her parent's spats and dysfunctional behavior.
Lester's home-life with his family is beautifully paralleled although contrastingly so, with his new neighbour, retired Marine Colonel, Frank Fitts, a strict and abusive disciplinarian homophobic conservative who lives with his near-catatonic wife and his more liberal, wayward son Ricky (Wes Bentley). Who records brief, random moments of the world around him on his camera, which he calls capturing the simple beauty that exists within it.
Mendes and Ball depict a portrait of contemporary Americana at the turn of the millennium. Where, as with Joel Schumacher's Falling Down a man attempts to come to terms with the pressures, inequities, and injustices of modern society. While also capturing the social division in the social hemisphere. Although both undertake very different means in their quest to do so. Not least when Lester develops an unhealthy infatuation with her cheerleader best friend Angela (Mena Suavari giving a splendidly precocious turn).
Equally poignant as it i sharp and funny, it is anchored by Spacey who delivers what is most probably a career-best performance, and I say this as someone who rates him as an underrated actor. However the role of Lester just somehow seems to have called to him. Undeserving of the Oscar he received, he did at least warrant a nomination. His trademark sarcasm sets him in good stead here as is his acerbic cyncicism as he becomes more empowered and emboldened as the movie's story progresses. Striking a blow for the everyday working stiff in one of the movie's relatively earlier scenes when he faces off against Brad. He's supported by an accomplished cast of Hollywood talent and some splendid storytelling, with both Birch and Bentley's scenes together as two lonely, lost souls who manage to find some solace together of palpable resonance.
Needless to say, it has to be said is a powerful satirical drama that, delves into the apathy that can come with mid-life, suburban life, and the struggles therein and will stay with you long after the credits have ended.
Abigail (2024)
A fun blend of From Dusk till Dawn and Reservoir Dogs
Six criminals are hired by a criminal mastermind to kidnap the 12-year-old daughter of a powerful crimelord. Instructed to hold her for 24 hours in a remote Manor, after which they will each receive a share of $50 million. Things take an unexpected twist when they learn to their horror that the deceptively sweet, innocent girl is in fact a savage vampire, who manages to set herself loose and sets about brutally despatching them one by one.
A loose retelling of the 1936 Universal Horror movie Dracula's Daughter. This black horror comedy is brought to us by directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, the men behind 2019's Ready or Not. Thematically similar, it takes the premise of Ready or Not and turns it on its head. While it featured, a woman having to evade a bloodthirsty family of killers, Abigail features a group of criminals being forced to attempt to survive the night against an undead little girl. Owing something of a debt as well to Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs as well as From Dusk Till Dawn. It features a gang of kidnappers, each of who have no past ties with one-another, to carry out a job by a crime boss. Adopting aliases, and therefore not knowing one another's real names. Starting out like FDTD as if it's a gritty crime thriller, it takes what could have been a surprise twist when after 45 minutes into the movie, the true vampiric nature of the deceptively defenseless Abigail is revealed.
And here lies something of a missed opportunity with Abigail, which, while like Tarantino's blood-splattered exploitation Horror is fun and never takes itself too seriously. Due to its clumsy marketing, robs us of what should have been a shock twist to its tale. However, it still remains something of a novel spin on both the horror and crime movie genres. Coming as something of a pleasant surprise as I was less than enthused with the so-so Ready or Not. It benefits from a decent ensemble cast, who effectively bring to life an engaging bunch of characters. So much so that you find yourself rooting for most of them despite the unseemly nature of the job they've been hired to pull off.
The primary character, and the most sympathetic and relatable of them is Joey, a former Army medic and recovering drug addict who has agreed to do the job, having not having been aware beforehand what it was going to entail, and who is initially reluctant to have anything to do with it. She more or less is the heroine, or should that be anti-heroine, of the story. The cast in general does a bang-up job of depicting a diverse assortment of criminals. Most noteworthy is Peter played by Kevin Durand, an ex-mob goon, who is the muscle of the group, but certainly not the brains. He manages to bring some vulnerability and humanity to a character who has transparent shades of grey. Physically imposing, he is also a guy who, also would snap your neck if you got on the wrong side of him.
Dan Stevens as Fran, an ex-police officer, who is without a shadow of a doubt the most unprincipled and ruthless of the gang, is clearly having fun as a thoroughly vile and narcissistic psychopath. He's similar to Norman Stansfield from Luc Besson's Leon: The Professional, but without his penchant for waxing lyrical on his love for operatic music.
The movie undoubtedly belongs to young Alisha Weir as the title Abigail. Not only does she leave an impression with the ballerina moves that she learned after having no previous experience. Performing her own amazing stunts, that directors added more scenes of her doing so because they were so impressed by what she had been taught. Weir transitions in her early scenes from a frightened, sweet innocent little girl to a bloodthirsty, and merciless killer with no effort at all. Making her a potential future major star in the making.
Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett make excellent use of the confined surroundings that their protagonists find themselves in. Making you feel their sense of fear and helplessness within the claustrophobic environment of the genuine Guinness manor in Dublin, Ireland for what is practically a single-location movie. And they most certainly don't let go easy on the blood and gore which there is in plentiful abundance, that should satiate the hunger of any gorehound.
There's also a couple of further twists and turns to the plot that will keep you engaged, involving two of the movie's characters and how the story pans out that left me rather surprised, and didn't see the least bit coming, and doubtless, I won't be alone. Abigail is a welcome adage to the Vampire Horror movie subgenre that exploits pedophobia, blending it with vampiric lore, and some jet- black knowing humour to boot.
Strictly Ballroom (1992)
A charming, camp romantic comedy that showcased Baz Luhrrmann's trademark exuberance
Scott Hastings is a highly talented ballroom dancer who has what it takes to be champion material. However, he is something of a maverick who wants to dance his own steps which raises the ire of the ballroom dance community. Fran is the frumpy and awkward novice dancer, who asks to be his partner, which he reluctantly agrees to much to the disapproval of his overbearing mother. Together they set out to win the Australian Pan Pacific Grand Prix, with their innovative dance moves.
Baz Luhrmann, has come a long way since his early days as an up-and-coming director. The Australian auteur who would eventually garner critical acclaim, as well as be Oscar-nominated for his dazzlingly flamboyant musical Moulin Rouge, kickstarted his career with this small independent movie from his native homeland. Based on his critically successful stage play of the same name, it was a surprise worldwide Box Office success, gaining numerous accolades into the bargain. Showcasing his flamboyant, visual style that he has become renowned for, albeit it more modest given the movie's bugetery restraints. The tale of a plucky underdog, who bucks authority and challenges the status quo Isn't necessarily anything new. But thanks to a charming script, a strong cast with winning chemistry, and plenty of pep, Lurhmann overcomes the potential formulaic pitfalls of its plot.
Also, a contemporary ugly duckling story, which sees Tara Morice's Fran aspiring dancer who secretly pines for Scott Mercurio's Scott Hastings. The hotshot, and innovative dancer who is determined to prove the merit of his unorthodox dance style which goes against the more traditional orthodoxy. Offbeat, and with a wonderful ensemble cast of some of Australia's finest acting talent who breathe life into a plethora of offbeat, idiosyncratic characters. All of whom are introduced via a mockumentary opening prologue. Barry Otto looks who seems eternally bewildered as Scott's put-upon father injects the right amount of pathos in a role that could have very easily been one-note. Frequently berated by Scott's overbearing and pushing mother, with Pat Thomson appropriately over-zealous and in what would sadly be her last film role, as she passed away before the movie premiered.
Filling the role as the primary villain of the piece is Bill Hunter, who is something of a human equivalent of walking foghorn. All bluster and tyrannical as Australian Dancing Federation head Barry Fife, he is an imposing screen presence which he would later replicate in Muriel's Wedding two years later.
As for the two leads, their shared chemistry is inherently tangible with Mercurio making an impression in so much as although a trained professional dancer, had no prior acting experience. Bringing a fiery, headstrong competitiveness to Scott. In Fran, Morice is idealistic, with a subtle passion that makes for a likable and sympathetic figure.
It almost feels like a live-action cartoon with its zestful energy and flamboyant exuberance. With energetic dance choreography and Mercurio showing here really knows how to cut a rug. Flashy as it is, Luhrmann manages to capture the right balance between camp comedy and charming, love story, which is belied by some quiet poignancy. The scenes that involve Scott with Fran's family, as they train for the Pan Pacific Grand Prix are especially affecting. Enhanced by an effective score from David Hirschfelder that strikes the right ostentatious chord, and with John Paul Young's memorable Love is in the Air, Strictly Ballroom is an endearing romantic comedy. One that will appeal to those who enjoy a good underdog movie. Even if it does lean towards the schmaltzy in its final reel.
It comes as something of a surprise that both Mercurio and Morice didn't go on to become bigger stars, having seemingly dwindled into obscurity. As Opposed to Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving, Toni Collete, and Rachel Griffiths who have had relatively more successful careers after making their names with Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding respectfully. As audiences have probably been robbed of two great acting talents, who have never been able to display their full potential.
Blackadder II (1986)
The weakest entry in the series but still worth a look
The second series of the classic comedy series that chronicled the conniving, devious BlacAdder dynasty. This series saw several changes which cemented Its more familiar format. Rowan Atkinson stepped down as co-writer and handed over the reins to Ben Elton, who had come to prominence for his work on the anarchic The Young Ones. With the BBC having been displeased with the first series, then BBC controller Michael Grade decided to have it made a more studio sitcom show with an audience with the characterization of key characters redefined in such a way that as now become more renowned.
Seeing as the former iteration of the character came to a grisly end at the end of the first series, the narrative would see it shift to the Elizabethan period. Edmund who is the great-grandson of the original Blackadder is now a member of the London aristocracy. As opposed to the original interpretation, he is less sniveling and is more cunning and intelligent although still scheming and cynical in nature. It would follow his attempts to win favour with the infantile Queen Elizabeth I, here credited as Queenie (Miranda Richardson), As with Series 1 he is aided and abetted by his two cohorts. Baldrick who as opposed to his original representation became more slow-witted and stupid although good-natured and lovable, and Lord Percy, (Tim McInnerny) who became more of a downright prat.
The series also saw beside Queenie the introduction of new regular character's Lord Melchet, who is her sycophantic Lord Chamberlain played by Stephen Fry as well as Nursie, her demented former Nanny played hilariously by Patsy Byrne. Most of the episode's plotlines involved Blackadder attempting to ingratiate himself with Queenie, or her relying on him to perform a task on her orders..With Baldrick and Percy assisting him, often to his detriment. As with the first series, there was some pathos to his character, who although downright reprehensible at times displays a human side to himself. The first episode Bells sees him fall in love with his manservant Bob (Gabrille Glaister who would return in ...Goes Forth), who is in fact a young woman in disguise, and she in return with him. Predictably the course of true doesn't end up running smoothly. This series sees Rik Mayall who made his first appearance at the end of the first one as Mad Gerald, making his first one as Lord Flashheart, a character whose descendent would make an appearance in Series 4.
Further guest actors would include Tom Baker, Miriam Margoyles, Hugh Laurie, (who would become a regular member of the cast in both the third and fourth series) Ronald Lacy, and Simon Jones. With Margoyles and Baker being particularly memorable as a drunken sailor named Captain Rum, and Blackadder's incredibly puritanical Aunt, Lady WhiteAdder.
For my money, the weakest of the four series, BlackAdder II is far from terrible and does overall have a steady stream of gags although not all quite land quite as often. It's more accessible to mainstream audiences compared to the first, as it doesn't rely quite so much on the reliance to be aware of the comedic references to the works of William Shakespeare. The chemistry amongst the cast is also a strong selling point, and some of the more funnier moments having been a result of Percy's toadying to BlackAdder. As well as the latter's exasperation and annoyance and Baldrick's idiocy, and his frequently saying he "has a cunning plan" which would become a trend that would run throughout the next two series.
BlackAdder II was a welcome addition to the series if not the strongest of the series run. Bolstered by Miranda Richard at her scene-stealing best. It comes as no surprise that she was invited back to make guest appearances in the two series that followed. Like it's predecessor it retained a darker edge, especially with its grisly denouement that was a bonus. It has aged well and still holds up to this day.
Frasier: To Tell the Truth (1999)
A turning point for Niles
An episode that marks something of a turning point for Niles, To Tell the Truth concerns his court case which overlooks his divorce proceedings with Maris. However, Niles's lawyers prove ineffectual when Maris tries to postpone their court case. On the advice of Roz and at the insistence of Frasier he seeks out hot-shot lawyer Donny Douglas played by Saul Rubineck, who will eventually play an integral part in this season and the next two. He makes for a good addition to the series, and due to Rubineck's affable performance a welcome and likable, and by Season 8 a very sympathetic one considering how his story arc plays out.
His first meeting with Niles and Frasier where he displays that beneath his easy-going demeanor he is a ferocious piranha, and precisely what Niles needs. Of course, Maris's lawyers are equally savage although more unscrupulous as they claim alienation of affection because of what happened in the episode Moon Dance,. Daphne of course is unaware of Niles's feelings for her and agrees that she will evidence that it was all an act on her part, not knowing it wasn't on his. Donny wants Frasier to back up what Daphne says, being unaware of Niles's true feelings, and Frasier to Martin's anger feels reluctant to do so citing it would go against his ethics to lie under oath in court.
Overall, a decent episode To Tell the Truth proves to be somewhat maddening and frustrating. We see Frasier at his most self centered and insensitive as he prioritizes his ethics over Niles's feelings and well-being. Seeing the whole situation in black-and- white terms and not shades of grey. Brilliantly illustrated by a brilliant speech from Martin, wonderfully delivered by John Mahoney where he tells of a similar situation he was placed in on his days on the police force. Of course, Frasier remains typically stubborn and steadfast in his misguided convictions.
Where it proves more irritating is where the writers give Fraiser an easy out, when Donny comes to the rescue and he Isn't forced to do the right thing leaving him to believe he was still in the right. It would have been great to see him have to swallow his pride and his ego.
In terms of the laugh factor, this episode however doesn't disappoint in that regard. There's Nile's unusual coping mechanism when it comes to dealing with the stressful situation he find himself in. As well as Donny revealing a hidden secret of Maris's that swiftly puts Niles at a major advantage. Although it is this that comes at the expense of giving Frasier the easy way out, and therefore I of course have mixed feelings about the outcome.
Ultimately the episode ends on a sour note, as just when things finally seem to be going Niles's way, fate plays a cruel trick on him. David Hyde Piers is at the top of his game as Niles with Kelsey Grammer and the rest of the cast equally so. To Tell the Truth is a fun episode that offers an excellent new angle to the will they/won't they relationship between Niles and Daphnie, even if it is somewhat annoying to see Frasier being so pigheaded and insensitive.