Archive for the ‘Movies/TV’ Category

The Oranges Blu-ray Review: A Conventional Tale of Unconventional Romance

Posted: 22 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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The Oranges Blu-ray Review: A Conventional Tale of Unconventional Romance

During the middle of the previous decade, my girlfriend at the time and I were hooked on three specific television series: House M.D., Arrested Development, and The OC. Well, the latter was more to appease her than anything. I can’t stress that enough, folks. Honestly. In fact, the only thing that enabled me to survive the yuppie haven that particular drama served up on a regular basis was Adam Brody’s character of Seth Cohen – who appealed to me since he was an awkward nerd. I can relate. Unsurprisingly enough to anyone who has ever met me, I also identify quite well with introverted outcasts who rub everyone the wrong way such as House M.D. – as played by the great Hugh Laurie – and the unequivocal “Screw you guys, I’m going home” attitude of a fictional personas like Maeby Fünke, who was brought to life in Arrested Development by actress Alia Shawkat. Read the rest of this entry »

Whispering Ghosts DVD Review: Milton Berle, Ghost Hunter

Posted: 21 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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Whispering Ghosts DVD Review: Milton Berle, Ghost Hunter

The very genre of comedy owes an insurmountable debt of gratitude to many of its unsung screenwriters who worked hard to give us an uncontrollable case of the sillies with the timeless gems of yesteryear. Such an arrears almost doubles when it comes to crafting a truly genuine piece of “the funny” during a time of worldwide apprehension – such as war. While the patriotic men and women of the United States were certainly in need of a good laugh, such a thing wasn’t always at their beck and call. Sure, on one hand, you had Bud Abbott and Lou Costello busily selling billions of dollars in War Bonds via their coast-to-coast tours, USO shows, and wonderful World War II-era musical comedies – all of which was in the name of Uncle Sam. Read the rest of this entry »

The Moon Is Down DVD Review: Suicidal Norwegians vs. the Nazi Menace

Posted: 21 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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The Moon Is Down DVD Review: Suicidal Norwegians vs. the Nazi Menace

Based on the 1942 novel by John Steinbeck by the same name, 20th Century Fox’s 1943 ode to freedom The Moon Is Down centers on the Nazi invasion of a small costal Norwegian town during the very midst of World War II. While the book was a bit vague on the identities of the invading force, the movie – written by The Dirty Dozen screenwriter Nunnally Johnson – is as blatant as can be as to who the villains are. We begin with an extended shot of a typically angry Führer (or rather, his overly-expressive hands) shouting in his native tongue that Germany must occupy Norway. And, immediately after the credits have rolled, a large division of Nazis troops parachute in just in time to slaughter the local (tiny) military unit that’s away on a routine training mission – making way for the baddies to simply walk into town and declare it theirs. Read the rest of this entry »

Surf Party (1964) DVD Review: How NOT to Throw a Beach Party

Posted: 20 May, 2013 in Movies/TV, Music
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Surf Party (1964) DVD Review: How NOT to Throw a Beach Party

Though the concept of a moving picture story set on the beach depicting the everyday lives of youngsters skilled in the fine arts of surfing, singing, dancing, and G-Rated fornication with one another had been done once or twice before AIP invited us all to the very first Beach Party in 1963, it wasn’t until that frolicking festivity with Frankie and Annette that America (and possibly even part of the Lesser Antilles as well) embraced the actual subgenre of such filmmaking. Sadly, this meant that the usual school of low-budget competitors were sure to surface from the murky depths below like those monsters with the zippers clearly visible running down their backs in those equally expensive horror flicks being produced down the beach a ways. Read the rest of this entry »

Pierre Etaix: Criterion Collection DVD Review: Affordable Pricelessness

Posted: 20 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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Pierre Etaix: Criterion Collection DVD Review: Affordable Pricelessness

For many of the “average” citizens living within the confines of the continental United States of America, the concept of viewing French comedy is on-par with sitting around in coffee shops drinking itsy bitsy cups of coffee whilst talking about art and folk music: that which is perceived by the ignorant, uneducated masses who have been raised under the impression that NASCAR and Coors Light make the world go ’round to be artsy-fartsy-hippie-liberal-faggoty stuff. Of course, what they fail to realize is that – as Morrissey once crooned – America is not the world. And both NASCAR and Coors Light suck, too. But that’s irrelevant, really – as is just about everything I have said up until now. Read the rest of this entry »

Texas Chainsaw 3D Blu-ray Review: Wither Heatherface?

Posted: 13 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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Texas Chainsaw 3D Blu-ray Review: Wither Heatherface?

While I was never a “huge” fan of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre series (the ones that started with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in ’74), I must confess that one of my favorite LPs in my record collection is that of the soundtrack from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 from 1986. Of course, any motion picture soundtrack that contains Concrete Blonde, Oingo Boingo, Timbuk3, and The Cramps simply demands to be taken seriously – and there’s even an offering from The Lords of the New Church (a group that, interestingly has a new singer named Adam Becvare) entitled “Good to Be Bad” – which was inspired from a line of dialogue from the film, and recorded solely for the album. Read the rest of this entry »

Blu-ray Review: Panic in the Streets – “Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ”

Posted: 10 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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Blu-ray Review: Panic in the Streets – “Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ”

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Panic in the Streets – “Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ” on Blogcritics.

Every actor needs to start somewhere. In the case of the late great Jack Palance, he started out doing what he will always be remembered for: playing the part of a very bad man. When offered the part of the heavy in the 1950 film noir, Panic in the Streets, stage actor Walter Jack Palance (as he was known by then) flew to New Orleans for his very first film role. And while the rest of his career may be simply summed up with the ever-annoying line “And the rest is history,” Elia Kazan’s memorable Panic in the Streets is certainly worth noting for due to much more than introducing the filmgoing world to the man who would both frighten and entice grown-up and adults alike for generations to come. (more…)

Heavenly Shades of Delight: Twilight Time’s Blu-ray Releases, Volume Three

Posted: 9 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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Heavenly Shades of Delight: Twilight Time’s Blu-ray Releases, Volume Three

Once more, friends, we (or rather I) invite you to join me as I poke about a bit with some of the newer Twilight Time Blu-ray releases in another chapter of the Heavenly Shades of Delight series, which started with Volume One and Volume Two earlier this year. For this illustrious third entry, I am taking a peek at seven titles from the exclusive niche label – each of which is available exclusively online from Screen Archives (providing they’re not sold out already, that is!). Read the rest of this entry »

Berlin Correspondent DVD Review: A Nifty L’il WWII Espionage B-Flick

Posted: 7 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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Berlin Correspondent DVD Review: A Nifty L’il WWII Espionage B-Flick

For many B-movie lovers like myself, the late great German-born Martin Kosleck will perhaps be best remembered as the mad scientist who helped create the titular creations in one of the earliest gore flicks, The Flesh Eaters in 1964 – and as a baddie in the ultra-campy no-budget American James Bond rip-off Agent for H.A.R.M. in ’66. Decades prior, however, Kosleck made a career playing villainous Nazis (including Herr Goebbels himself – four different times!) in World War II-themed motion pictures boasting both large and small budgets alike. His frequency inhabiting such roles was not just another case of prime Hollywood typecasting at its finest, though: Kosleck detested Hitler and the Nazi Party – and he put as much evil as he could into each part in order to help the war effort by portraying the Nazis as the immoral bastards they really were. Read the rest of this entry »

Carnival in Costa Rica DVD Review: An Endless Unfunny Rom-Com Musical

Posted: 5 May, 2013 in Movies/TV
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Carnival in Costa Rica DVD Review: An Endless Unfunny Rom-Com Musical

In case it has slipped past both your central and peripheral paths of vision in recent years, the residents of the United States of America don’t really care for its neighbors beneath it. Apparently, they feel they’re, well – beneath them. Canadians? Kosher – so long as they don’t talk politics or health care. Mexicans? Never. Not in a million years. Who cares if they do all of the menial tasks most of the USA’s own citizens feel are a tad too tedious: they still don’t like them. And that goes doubly so for those lazy, happy-go-lucky Costa Ricans – who are something of the subject of the awful 1947 Twentieth Century Fox Technicolor romantic comedy musical, Carnival in Costa Rica. Note how I say they are “something of the subject” – this is because there’s nary an actual Costa Rican in the entire dreadful picture. Read the rest of this entry »

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