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Reviews
Death at a Funeral (2007)
Off the charts hilarious
One of the all-time greatest comedies ever written and produced for the big screen. The prim and proper bucolic setting in the English country devolves into outragously funny chaos akin to the Marx Bros tour de farce "A Night at the Opera" and the classic "Planes, Trains and Automobiles". There's not supposed to be anything funny about a funeral, right? Wrong. One unexpected calamity after another. This film should leave you weak from laughter. The writing is over the top, not to mention the great acting. The cast of lesser known screen talent delivers above and beyond expectations. This movie should become a cult classic. More twists and turns than an Olympic bobsled course. Rx: If you don't have several outbursts of laughter while watching, seek professional help.
Jeffrey Ross: No Offense - Live from New Jersey (2008)
Ross will make you laff yer ass off
Ross is hilarious in this. Especially the part where he brings the talented Stephen Glickman (masquerading as civilian) out of the audience to accompany him with his piano skills while Ross delivers his off-the-wall poetry that would make Steve Allen envious. (Glickman's a gifted funny man in his own right.) If you like Ross's style and content...then you'll love this. Jeff has a great knack for building up a comic moment, which makes for more explosive laughter. He's just as good an actor as he is a comic and I'm surprised he hasn't been cast in more TV and film.
Enjoy!
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
The most important movie of our lives
Gore is not fighting for his political life...he's fighting for the life of the planet.
From a layperson's perspective...haven't we introduced millions of tons of pollutants into the atmosphere in just little over a century? Haven't we raped the land and the sea? Scientists now tell us glaciers are melting at twice the rate they had predicted? So if the ice caps totally melt, we shouldn't be worried or care? Millions of species wiped out. What a minute...humans, we're a species, aren't we?
Gore does a masterful job at presenting the data and evidence. I'm not sure if re-opening the wounds of the "election" of 2000 was good idea. Or even flashing the face of anyone in the opposition. Although I realize he used these setbacks as an opportunity to address global warming to audiences around the globe. This issue transcends politics.
People see Gore as a private citizen. A family hit by lung cancer and an auto accident that almost took the life of his 6 yr old son.
I trust all the fact-checking will come up with agreement with the basic findings presented and that we challenge our leaders... political, business, educational, civic and otherwise, to start addressing our damaged environment in a meaningful way.
Swimming Upstream (2003)
Emotionally powerful and inspiring; based on a true story
This film was the "Closing Selection" for the 2004 San Diego Film Festival. The story shows the emotional pain of growing up with an alcoholic and abusive father. And yet, through the violence and strife emerges the eventual best Olympic swimmer from Australia in his event. The movie was about the life story of Tony Fingleton, whom I was fortunate to meet in person after the film. What an outstanding individual as he fielded audience questions with complete honesty and panache.
His story is testament to the tenacity of the human spirit in the face of a troubled and abusive father. Yet despite it all, emerges a positive and intelligent force. There was still a drive to improve one's mind despite a relentlessly critical father in the protagonist's formative years. The emotional family confrontations are not for the squeamish; however, it is a tribute to human optimism and accomplishment. I wish it were revealed a bit more about Tony's drive for education early on, i.e., who inspired that aspect of his development? Geoffrey Rush's acting as the father is stark and striking. The images and messages of this film will stay with you for a very long time!
Goodnight, We Love You (2004)
A great tribute to a ground-breaking comic legend
I was fortunate to attend the World Premiere of this outstanding biomovie with Mrs Diller and her impressive entourage in attendance, including the filmmaker Gregg Barson and her publicist Milt Suchin. The post-screening address to the gushing audience was an indescribable treat. Mrs Diller can still fire off the hilarious zingers...and the laugh we all love is still there. What a great accomplishment by the San Diego Film Festival to have Mrs Diller there!
The film brings you up close and personal to the legendary comic's last professional stand-up performance in Las Vegas...with an audience loaded with other comic greats paying their respects. Many give personal and poignant on-camera tributes.
Mrs Diller takes you on a personal tour of her residence and shares the love, her family and friendships cultivated over a very accomplished career. We also learn that Mrs Diller is an extremely talented classical pianist/musician (who performed with many symphony orchestras over a ten-year period) and artist, whose paintings are highly-acclaimed.
All of that talent ... plus a ton of love, class, eternal optimism and humor throughout. Reliving her early challenge of breaking into a male-dominated profession in the 1950s to present day, the life lessons learned from this film and Mrs Diller are profound and powerful. Moviegoers of all ages will love this film. As a matter of fact, like other classic human beings that come along, Mrs Diller is ageless as is her work and message. You will laugh uproariously...you will reflect...you will get choked up. Phyllis Diller's life story will renew your faith that drive, the development of one's talents and diligence are, indeed, their own reward! Well done, Mr Barson...and, Mrs Diller... we love you, too!