Storytelling

A movie that never flinches
Todd Solondz's funny and controversial films examine sordid suburbia. They are witty, satirical stories but also unflinching in their use of controversial subjects like rape, pedophilia and other "uncomfortable" subjects that most mainstream films would never have the nerve to address, much less use in a comedic context. So, you either love his films or hate them (as the other reviews here will attest.) I happen to love his films.

It might be best to watch his previous film, "Happiness", before watching "Storytelling" as "Storytelling" seems (to me) to be the film maker's personal response to the criticisms that his other films have elicited. "Storytelling" is composed of two, separate stories titled "Fiction" and "Non Fiction". "Non Fiction" features a documentary film maker (clearly representing Solondz)who's a downtrodden geek, accused of exploiting his subjects.

His films make you laugh but also uncomfortable about laughing. I think he's an exciting voice in American...

He's an acquired taste but I love his films.
Todd Solodnz is not everyone's cup of tea. To enjoy his films, one must have a jet-black sense of humor and be comfortable with having your buttons pushed. He's definitely an acquired taste, but I love his movies. And, this one is no exception. It reminded me of Woody Allen's "Deconstructing Harry" in that it seems to be Solondz's response to his crticis. Indeed, it's a good film, but it's even better if you've already seen his other films ("Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Fear, Anxiety, & Depression," and "Happiness"). Solodnz dwells on subjects that most people would rather pretend don't exist (oh, but they do, they do). He makes you squirm and think and usually laugh at what you're seeing even though you may feel guilty about it afterwards. But, that's the point of a Todd Solondz film - anyone seeking lighthearted escapist fare will run screaming from the exits. But, for those who can "take it" and appreciate something different and intelligent, there are many rewards to be...

Everyone always has a story to tell.
Todd Solondz's `Welcome to the Dollhouse' showed comic/absurd promise; his masturbation scene in `Happiness' overstepped the boundary of film taste but got everyone's attention. While I didn't enjoy "Storytelling" as much as I did the Director's two previous films, "Happiness" and "Welcome to The Dollhouse," Solondz continues to amaze with his depictions of just how awkward true life really is. As always, he masterfully shows the oft times tactless, cynical, transparent motivations of everyday suburban life and combines them with outrageous situations, giving a humorous view into the myriad of interesting quirky characters he creates. As with Happiness, Storytelling has no background characters. Each character gets fully explored in a way that no matter how familiar or foreign a specific character's behavior might be to you, you can't help but understand their motivations. Solondz can develop over 10 characters in 88 minutes while most conventional Hollywood films fail to portray just...

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Vampire Dog

Family Friendly Fare That Lacks Much Bite: A Cute Premise That's Never Fully Explored
I guess I need to be wary of movies that use the word "dog" in their titles, it just might represent truth in advertising! What do you think about when you hear "Vampire Dog?" Right away, I conjured dozens of wacky sight gags, silly puns, and ridiculous spoofs. Just the notion of this dog having vampiric tendencies (even comical ones) opens up a myriad of mental images and potentially humorous situations. The problem with "Vampire Dog" is that its screenplay is so lazy, it never makes a convincing argument that Fang (the doggie in question, voiced by Norm MacDonald) is supernatural or even special. It cracks wise, to be sure, but is never particularly funny. What makes it a vampire exactly? Apparently it's very old, comes from Transylvania, moves like lightning, and consumes red jelly (this is actually Jello, but I guess they couldn't afford brand royalties). That's the back story of Fang in a nutshell.

Fang is taken in by an awkward youth (Collin MacKechnie). The primary...

Fun movie!
I have an 8-year-old who just loves this movie. It's entertaining and funny in an age-appropriate way. No blood or violence. The "vampire" dog needs cherry jelly to survive! Cute.

Nothing Original
The title was unique. I will give someone credit for that much. However once the movie starts its the same story we have all seen before, a by the number children's movie without an original bone in its body.

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From Russia With Love

Come For The Movie, Stay For The Extras
From Russia With Love, the second James Bond film, is one of the best (in my view, second only to Goldfinger). Unlike the later films in the series, From Russia With Love is extremely faithful to the Ian Fleming novel with only slight variations on the story. In order to obtain a Russian decoding machine, 007 must travel to Istanbul, Turkey to aid a beautiful Russian defector ... even though he and the British Secret Service know it's probably a trap. But unbeknownst to Bond SPECTRE is playing the Russians and the British against each other. This is the most realistic of the Bond films with a story that could probably happen in the real world of espionage. The film does contain a gadget -- a trick briefcase (also in the Fleming novel) that contains throwing knives, ammunition, a folding sniper's rifle, 50 gold sovereigns and a tear gas cartridge that explodes when the case is opened improperly. The film, however, takes a very realistic approach to the story with none of the cartoon...

Easily one of the greatest in the James Bond series
Most James Bond fans have their personal favorites among all the films in this forty-year series: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is mine. In many ways, this was actually the first film with the full James Bond formula in tact. DR. NO was enjoyable, but Sean Connery's Bond was very different in that film than in the subsequent films. In DR. NO, Bond was a serious, unironic, humorless secret agent, very much like the character in the Ian Fleming novels. In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, Bond departed from the character in the novels, and became witty, ironic, and very much tongue-in-cheek. In short, he became the Bond we all know and love. This is also the first film in which Desmond Llewelyn appeared as Q, who went on to play in all the remaining films (excepting Sean Connery's comeback with a different studio). Q provides Bond with his trick attaché case, the first of the many gimmicks we associate with Bond. The story is a great improvement as well. On top of this, the villains in...

A great movie---even better at 1080P
I love the movie "From Russia with Love"---end of story. This review is about the Blu-Ray edition. By way of comparison, I also own the recently upgraded DVD version of this film that was included in the James Bond Ultimate Edition set. That movie (the DVD) was restored to a sensational level of quality. In fact, I doubted it could be visually improved upon. I was wrong. The Blu-Ray edition looks even more sensational than the most recent DVD edition that was included in the Ultimate Edition set. In fact, it was clearly restored from a master print, with an almost indescribable level of visual detail included. This Blu-Ray edition is so good that it's like watching a brand new movie. Watching it with my family I repeatedly heard the comment "wow. Look at that. I never noticed that before . . ." The studio did a first rate job of restoring the movie for the Blu-Ray edition. And, after all . . . it's a James Bond film. I'll be getting the other Blu-Ray Bond films; if the...

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Twist of Faith

Holy Toledo?
As an adolescent, Tony Comes of Toledo, Ohio, was molested by a Roman Catholic priest. Tony is now a fireman, with a wife and 2 children, one of whom is soon to take First Communion. Through a cruel Twist of Fate, they discover that the Dream Home into which they have recently moved is only 5 doors down from Tony's former abuser - the unrepentant former priest, shown in his video deposition
Q: Why did you decide to go into the seminary?
A: I decided that it would be a good life if I was a priest.
Good for whom?
Church Ladies will not approve of Tony's "firehall" language - but then, they probably won't be watching. The scandal of serial abusive priests should be enough to P off the Pope. But one of the saddest things is, it's not. Too many priests and parishioners are in denial. This unflinching HBO documentary is not about the shameful statistics but the horrific and traumatic toll on actual lives of an abused altar boy and the "ripple effect."...

A Movie That's Tough To Watch
Think you've had problems in your life? Meet Tony Comes. I thought the sex crimes committed by the priest were horrible, but the crime committed by the local diocese was even worse. There is no amount of money that can take away the pain and hurt that was inflicted on Tony, but an honest admission of guilt and willingness to repair the damage would have been a good place to start. The movie was informative and real - too real at times. I think God has reserved a special place in hell for people who use their "ministry" to perpetrate these criminal acts, and for the people who know about it and do nothing but lie and cover it up.
The movie is almost embarrasingly personal at times, showing scenes of human anguish that resonate long after the credits roll. I found myself thinking about it for weeks afterward, almost haunted by the evil that masqueraded as a servant of God. Tough to watch - impossible to forget.

A revealing story of religion gone bad
Tony Comes is a firefighter in Toledo, Ohio. As a teenager attending Central Catholic High School in the 1980's, he and others were repeatedly molested by priest and religion teacher Dennis Gray. Later in life when Tony, his wife, and 2 children move to a nice suburban neighborhood in Toledo, they're shocked to find that the serial child molester Dennis Gray now lives only 5 houses away from them on the same street.

In June of 2002, Tony met with Toledo diocese bishop James Hoffman to relate his story of sexual abuse. The bishop lied to Tony and stated that Dennis Gray had molested only him. Subsequent news reports attested to 6 additional men who reported they were molested by Dennis Gray at the same high school in the same time frame. Several of these victims are interviewed in this program. In September, Tony filed a lawsuit against the Catholic Church and in December he contacted the media.

The Catholic Church is shown to be very uncooperative with the...

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The Holy Roller

What a novel way....
I sat and watched this DVD wondering why on earth I ever spent the money I did on it and why, at the time, I was spending any time watching it. It took a while, but I discovered the "novel" characters and plot of this movie were strange, a little weird, off-track, human in oh, so many ways and interesting ...all rolled into one.

This is not the typical DVD that I'd normally watch. But, I am so glad I did. I stepped out of my box and learned about my faith, other's faith and perceptions and dogmas, and world views.

It's not a master-piece but it sure is worth watching several times, every so often. I do indeed like this movie.





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Starsuckers (Star Suckers)

Wake Up To The Truth Behind The Headlines
I'd like to think we're all shrewd enough to know that many tabloid headlines are nonsense but the degree to which news is exaggerated and manufactured is frightening. The celebrity obsessed culture that is ruining our media with a flood of banality and trivial non-news may seem nothing more than innocuous rubbish but the truth is far more sinister. Whilst never being dull or preachy this film is both hilarious and frightening at times. Very thought provoking and very entertaining. Not often you can say that about a film. Considering the multitude of major media corporations this film targets the director Chris Atkins (nominated for a BAFTA for the groundbreaking Taking Liberties) has got some real balls and immense integrity to release this at all. It was superb at the cinema but the DVD promises heaps of extra footage they couldn't cram into the movie in the form of DVD extras. So - go buy the film Max Clifford and Rupert Murdoch tried to stop with an injunction (what higher...

Absurdly brilliant
You can't understand the modern world fully until you've seen this film. I've seen many of these data points before, but I've never seen them put all together in one place. Yes, electronic media - as controlled by a handful of epically corrupt and politically well connected corporations - is ruining society. It's not your imagination. It's a shame this film is not available in a format that people in the US, Canada and Japan can watch on DVD.

Insightful without being preachy....
First documentary about "the evil media" that I've been able to sit through and not want to throw out the window for being a chest-beating "woe is us" finger pointing type of show. They present some really interesting ideas about human psychology and why we're so enamoured with celebrity. They did a good job of calling out how media impacts youngsters while deftly avoiding the "what about the CHILDREN?!?!?!" whine that other progressive documentarians succumb to. Recommended!

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Diamonds Are Forever

Extras put DVD over the top
Although Diamonds Are Forever is a fairly weak entry in the James Bond series, the special edition DVD of this movie must rank among the best of all the 007 releases. The half-hour Inside Diamonds Are Forever documentary is both outstanding and informative, featuring such items as the background story behind Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (including recent interviews with actors Bruce Glover and Putter Smith), and a fascinating revelation by Jimmy Dean, who admitted to some discomfort in portraying a thinly-disguised Howard Hughes-type character when his real life boss at the time was, in fact, Howard Hughes. The 45-minute biography of Cubby Broccoli is almost worth the price of the DVD alone, and the inclusion of four deleted scenes nicely pieces together what was originally an editing nightmare for this film, especially Plenty's mysterious appearance in Tiffany's pool. One final note: the Bond filmmakers have always prided themselves in delivering sanitized sex scenes without resorting to...

TIFFANY CASE, THATS QUITE A NICE LITTLE NOTHING YOU'RE ALMOST WEARING.....I APPROVE.
This Bond movie has it ALL. No doubt one of my favorites in the whole 007 empire. Tiffany Case is probably my favorite BOND girl, because she is no doubt the bad girl of BOND girls. The action in this movie only stops to let the clevage show, in short there is never a dull moment in this 007.
Sean Connery flirts with ALL the chicks, if he had class in the original handful of movies, well he completely did away with that in this venture. He's a wise cracker in this one, which adds a lot of wit to this. Quirky, clever dialouge all around...
"Which do yo prefer, blondes or brunettes?"
"Either, as long as the collars match the cuffs."
Then theres Plenty O'Toole (ha hah) also a very attractive little chick, even though she gets drowned somewhat early on in the film.. oh well, it left more room for Tiffany Case to run around half naked for the rest of the time.... Outstanding rump shot while she's switching the cassette tape inside the laborotary. "Showing a little more...

Diamonds Are Forever (And For Fun)
Extremely stylish James Bond film, which ushered in the "just for fun era" that didn't end (but was interrupted by For Your Eyes only) until Roger Moore's retirement in 1985. However, this one has several qualities which most of those others don't. First, Sean Connery's back and gives his most complete acting performance in a Bond film. I personally enjoy him more in this film than in any of his other Bonds. It was, for my money, his most relaxed and confident performance. And his less than perfect appearance, though shocking to some, made his portrayal of the world-weary Bond all the more appropriate. Second, the dialogue here is masterful and, for once, truly funny in an ultra-sophisticated sort of way; the witicisms are incredible clever, maybe more so than in any Bond before or since. You have to watch this one over and over just to catch all the ingenious banter. I also really enjoyed all the supporting characters performances as well. While he might have...

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