Doctor_Mabuse1
Joined Nov 2008
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Doctor_Mabuse1's rating
This epic Musical Western may not be an artistic triumph but is an unbeatable entertainment with larger-than-life star-power. By sharp contrast to the elegance and sophistication of the Lerner & Loewe team's exquisite MY FAIR LADY, GIGI and CAMELOT, the entirely revised movie version of PAINT YOUR WAGON throws all grace and poise to the winds in its raunchy celebration of the pure joy of dancing and wallowing in gloriously filthy mud.
The original 1950's Broadway show was daring at the time for its interracial romance between a white woman and a Mexican native, but by 1968 this theme had become dated. Thus producer/lyricist Alan Jay Lerner based his bawdy screenplay on an entirely new story by playwright Paddy Chayefsky, which parodies "Sodom and Gomorrah" as a grandiose comedy of colorful moral follies in Gold Rush California.
The previous Lerner & Loewe film, CAMELOT -- also directed by Joshua Logan (SOUTH PACIFIC) -- had focused on an adulterous triangle relationship, so the new PAINT YOUR WAGON seeks to top that with a marriage-threesome at center. But in place of the tragic fall of a shining ideal, the inevitable collapse of "No Name City" (the Las Vegas of the Old West) is played entirely for uproarious belly-laughs.
Seven songs from the original show are retained, including "I Talk to the Trees", "There's a Coach Comin' In", and (supremely) the show- stopping aria "They Call the Wind Maria" (powerfully sung by Harve Presnell in full "Howard Keel" mode). In support of these are five new songs written by Lerner with composer Andre Previn (standing in for the retired Frederick Loewe).
The production and costumes are spectacular, but it is the bold casting that makes this a memorable show. Clint Eastwood has natural singing ability and demonstrates how cool an old-fashioned Musical can be with "Gold Fever" (the one Lerner-Previn song that gives the vintage score a real challenge). In other respects Eastwood is in good form as the easy- going side of his unique screen persona. Jean Seberg is fine as well, leavening the broad comedy with an underplayed wry humor.
However, the movie truly belongs to the great Lee Marvin, who is its heart and soul. Besotted old "Ben Rumson" is one of the actor's most memorable characters, evoking his Academy Award-winning role in another comic Western, CAT BALLOU. Taken as a super-vehicle for Marvin, this PAINT YOUR WAGON becomes something special.
As for the caliber of Lee Marvin's talk-singing: Don't let it be forgot that the soundtrack recording of his rough yet poignant performance of the Lerner-Loewe classic "Wandrin' Star" was a #1 hit in England.
Rating: 8/10 **** OUTSTANDING.
The original 1950's Broadway show was daring at the time for its interracial romance between a white woman and a Mexican native, but by 1968 this theme had become dated. Thus producer/lyricist Alan Jay Lerner based his bawdy screenplay on an entirely new story by playwright Paddy Chayefsky, which parodies "Sodom and Gomorrah" as a grandiose comedy of colorful moral follies in Gold Rush California.
The previous Lerner & Loewe film, CAMELOT -- also directed by Joshua Logan (SOUTH PACIFIC) -- had focused on an adulterous triangle relationship, so the new PAINT YOUR WAGON seeks to top that with a marriage-threesome at center. But in place of the tragic fall of a shining ideal, the inevitable collapse of "No Name City" (the Las Vegas of the Old West) is played entirely for uproarious belly-laughs.
Seven songs from the original show are retained, including "I Talk to the Trees", "There's a Coach Comin' In", and (supremely) the show- stopping aria "They Call the Wind Maria" (powerfully sung by Harve Presnell in full "Howard Keel" mode). In support of these are five new songs written by Lerner with composer Andre Previn (standing in for the retired Frederick Loewe).
The production and costumes are spectacular, but it is the bold casting that makes this a memorable show. Clint Eastwood has natural singing ability and demonstrates how cool an old-fashioned Musical can be with "Gold Fever" (the one Lerner-Previn song that gives the vintage score a real challenge). In other respects Eastwood is in good form as the easy- going side of his unique screen persona. Jean Seberg is fine as well, leavening the broad comedy with an underplayed wry humor.
However, the movie truly belongs to the great Lee Marvin, who is its heart and soul. Besotted old "Ben Rumson" is one of the actor's most memorable characters, evoking his Academy Award-winning role in another comic Western, CAT BALLOU. Taken as a super-vehicle for Marvin, this PAINT YOUR WAGON becomes something special.
As for the caliber of Lee Marvin's talk-singing: Don't let it be forgot that the soundtrack recording of his rough yet poignant performance of the Lerner-Loewe classic "Wandrin' Star" was a #1 hit in England.
Rating: 8/10 **** OUTSTANDING.
Call me crazy, call me corny... but I have fallen head over heels for this exuberant little bluegrass comedy thriller.
Two endearingly dumb hick hillbillies, Dale (Tyler Labine) and Tucker (Alan Tudyk) are happily settling in for a vacation at their ramshackle cabin in the woods when their bliss is disrupted by the arrival of a carload of mindless college kids.
During a late-night fishing excursion, the beer-loving buddies witness a swimming party and rescue one of the girls from drowning, taking her back to their cabin to recover.
While Tucker spends his day working in the woods, Dale devotes every moment to humbly caring for their unexpected guest. Nice, pretty, intelligent and bland Allison (Katrina Bowdan) quickly loses her initial fear of her bearded, beer-bellied Bear of a captor as she discovers him to be awkwardly shy, gentle, sweet-natured and seriously cute. In turn, the self-negating Dale is overwhelmed by the unexpected acceptance and warmth of this unattainable dream person. The two develop an unlikely friendship and cozily settle down to await the return of her friends.
This is not how Allison's friends perceive the situation. They have been frightened by tales of bloodthirsty killers in the area and are certain that Allison has been captured by savage rednecks. In their zeal to rescue her, they each rush to the attack - and accidentally cause their own violent, bloody deaths in the best Friday THE 13th manner.
TUCKER AND DALE vs. EVIL, like the classic ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), is that rarity: a Horror-Comedy that honors the genre and works on every level. It can be seen as the Laurel and Hardy version of such rustic thrillers as DELIVERANCE and THE Texas CHAINSAW CHAINSAW MASSACRE. In this case the humor is restrained and character- oriented, and all physical comedy stems directly from the situation.
The film's admirable achievement is that it maintains a buoyant sense of humor without ever mocking or compromising genre conventions. The point of view of the two groups of characters determines the alternating shifts of tone. The good OK' boys and their open-minded girl friend see the story as a rustic romantic comedy whereas the shallow college kids exist in a generic slasher-flick dimension, played straight with menacing music and every edge-of-seat beat in place. Whenever the two worlds happen to meet, the resulting absurdity twists the standard blood'n'guts "Kills" as a dynamic unity of shock and laughter. The deft balancing of this sharp contrast is the key to TUCKER AND DALE's success.
Central to the movie's charm are the appealing performances of the three leads; especially big -- and big-hearted -- Tyler Labine, whose personal warmth and good-humor make this a splatter with soul.
Add to this a genuinely warm and moving story of love and friendship between characters we come to care for, and you have a one-of-a-kind indie winner to treasure and remember.
Two endearingly dumb hick hillbillies, Dale (Tyler Labine) and Tucker (Alan Tudyk) are happily settling in for a vacation at their ramshackle cabin in the woods when their bliss is disrupted by the arrival of a carload of mindless college kids.
During a late-night fishing excursion, the beer-loving buddies witness a swimming party and rescue one of the girls from drowning, taking her back to their cabin to recover.
While Tucker spends his day working in the woods, Dale devotes every moment to humbly caring for their unexpected guest. Nice, pretty, intelligent and bland Allison (Katrina Bowdan) quickly loses her initial fear of her bearded, beer-bellied Bear of a captor as she discovers him to be awkwardly shy, gentle, sweet-natured and seriously cute. In turn, the self-negating Dale is overwhelmed by the unexpected acceptance and warmth of this unattainable dream person. The two develop an unlikely friendship and cozily settle down to await the return of her friends.
This is not how Allison's friends perceive the situation. They have been frightened by tales of bloodthirsty killers in the area and are certain that Allison has been captured by savage rednecks. In their zeal to rescue her, they each rush to the attack - and accidentally cause their own violent, bloody deaths in the best Friday THE 13th manner.
TUCKER AND DALE vs. EVIL, like the classic ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), is that rarity: a Horror-Comedy that honors the genre and works on every level. It can be seen as the Laurel and Hardy version of such rustic thrillers as DELIVERANCE and THE Texas CHAINSAW CHAINSAW MASSACRE. In this case the humor is restrained and character- oriented, and all physical comedy stems directly from the situation.
The film's admirable achievement is that it maintains a buoyant sense of humor without ever mocking or compromising genre conventions. The point of view of the two groups of characters determines the alternating shifts of tone. The good OK' boys and their open-minded girl friend see the story as a rustic romantic comedy whereas the shallow college kids exist in a generic slasher-flick dimension, played straight with menacing music and every edge-of-seat beat in place. Whenever the two worlds happen to meet, the resulting absurdity twists the standard blood'n'guts "Kills" as a dynamic unity of shock and laughter. The deft balancing of this sharp contrast is the key to TUCKER AND DALE's success.
Central to the movie's charm are the appealing performances of the three leads; especially big -- and big-hearted -- Tyler Labine, whose personal warmth and good-humor make this a splatter with soul.
Add to this a genuinely warm and moving story of love and friendship between characters we come to care for, and you have a one-of-a-kind indie winner to treasure and remember.
THE 13 GHOSTS OF SCOOBY-DOO is an unusually promising middle-period variant of the long-running Mystery-Comedy Cartoon series. The addition of a strong fantasy element is a breakout landmark.
Most of all, the continuing guest character of mystic "Vincent Van Ghoul", voiced by Classic Horror Star Supreme, VINCENT PRICE, lends this particular show a distinction unmatched in the Universe of Doo.
13 GHOSTS is the first serialized version of SCOOBY-DOO which follows in sequence a continuing storyline established in the initial episodes. An intriguing element is the focus on some of Scooby's earliest encounters with "real" supernatural spooks (as opposed to masked crooks). This foreshadows such superior DVD animated features as SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE WITCH'S GHOST and SCOOBY-DOO AND THE GOBLIN KING.
A disappointing aspect of 13 GHOSTS is that the serial abruptly stops just shy of the overall story's conclusion. Unfortunately, the show was prematurely canceled before the final episodes could be made.
The absence of regular characters Freddy and Velma, the misuse of made-over ingénue Daphne as mere decor, along with the (albeit subdued) presence of unpopular little Scrappy-Doo, are further counts against the show.
However, it is the grating dominance of the extraneous new character Film-Flam--a token ethnic street brat with a flippant, arrogant attitude--that most seriously mars the series.
Happily, the redeeming presence of the magnificent Price and a fresh touch of color and imagination save the show and restore the relatively high quality of earlier (pre-Scrappy) SCOOBY-DOO series. For these reasons 13 GHOSTS is highly recommended to fans of the Scoob.
{Vincent Price may be best known to young viewers for his deliciously sinister spoken monologue in Michael Jackson's momentous "THRILLER". Reasonably mature SCOOBY-DOO fans desiring a deeper acquaintance with Price would enjoy the legendary Hollywood actor's rich, deliciously over-ripe performances in the following "starter set": THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS, LAURA, DRAGONWYCK, HOUSE OF WAX (1953), HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958), THE FLY (1958), RETURN OF THE FLY, THE TINGLER (1959), HOUSE OF USHER (1960), PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961), TALES OF TERROR, THE RAVEN (1963), COMEDY OF TERRORS, THE HAUNTED PALACE, THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964), THE TOMB OF LIGIEA, WITCHFINDER GENERAL/THE CONQUERER WORM, THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN and THEATRE OF BLOOD.}
Rating: GOOD.
Most of all, the continuing guest character of mystic "Vincent Van Ghoul", voiced by Classic Horror Star Supreme, VINCENT PRICE, lends this particular show a distinction unmatched in the Universe of Doo.
13 GHOSTS is the first serialized version of SCOOBY-DOO which follows in sequence a continuing storyline established in the initial episodes. An intriguing element is the focus on some of Scooby's earliest encounters with "real" supernatural spooks (as opposed to masked crooks). This foreshadows such superior DVD animated features as SCOOBY-DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE WITCH'S GHOST and SCOOBY-DOO AND THE GOBLIN KING.
A disappointing aspect of 13 GHOSTS is that the serial abruptly stops just shy of the overall story's conclusion. Unfortunately, the show was prematurely canceled before the final episodes could be made.
The absence of regular characters Freddy and Velma, the misuse of made-over ingénue Daphne as mere decor, along with the (albeit subdued) presence of unpopular little Scrappy-Doo, are further counts against the show.
However, it is the grating dominance of the extraneous new character Film-Flam--a token ethnic street brat with a flippant, arrogant attitude--that most seriously mars the series.
Happily, the redeeming presence of the magnificent Price and a fresh touch of color and imagination save the show and restore the relatively high quality of earlier (pre-Scrappy) SCOOBY-DOO series. For these reasons 13 GHOSTS is highly recommended to fans of the Scoob.
{Vincent Price may be best known to young viewers for his deliciously sinister spoken monologue in Michael Jackson's momentous "THRILLER". Reasonably mature SCOOBY-DOO fans desiring a deeper acquaintance with Price would enjoy the legendary Hollywood actor's rich, deliciously over-ripe performances in the following "starter set": THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS, LAURA, DRAGONWYCK, HOUSE OF WAX (1953), HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958), THE FLY (1958), RETURN OF THE FLY, THE TINGLER (1959), HOUSE OF USHER (1960), PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961), TALES OF TERROR, THE RAVEN (1963), COMEDY OF TERRORS, THE HAUNTED PALACE, THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964), THE TOMB OF LIGIEA, WITCHFINDER GENERAL/THE CONQUERER WORM, THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN and THEATRE OF BLOOD.}
Rating: GOOD.
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