Amanda Reno Reviews

Blackpool (2004)

A fun little diversion

[7/10 · 9 November 2005]

I have to admit that I've only seen the first half of this miniseries on BBC America, but I'm looking forward to finishing it. The musical numbers are a little cheesy at times and it's painfully evident that the cast are not professional singers and dancers. However, so far, the solution to the murder has not been obvious and the character development has been very good. In particular I liked Thomas Morrison who manages to show Danny's desperate need for his dad's approval without becoming a caricature, and David Tennant, who I thought looked like a complete dork in pictures for the latest "Doctor Who" series, but here manages to come across as so charming in his pursuit of Danny's married mom that I'm now hopelessly in love with him. This miniseries isn't perfect, but I'd applaud the BBC for taking a risk on a very nontraditional kind of program; I would take it over "CSI" any day.

Factory Accident Sex (2002 Video)

Disturbingly funny

[7/10 · 7 July 2005]

I had to give this only a 7 out of 10, just because there are a lot of segments on here that appear to be clips of longer skits, and I'd rather have the entire skit. However, the slide show about the adventures of the Jolly Green Giant and Sprout alone justifies the price of the DVD. There are also such gems as "The Real Rural World" starring 4 trailer-dwelling brothers and their wife (which has production values and graphics that make it look like it came straight from MTV) and a commercial for Sphincter & Associates, a law firm that specializes in defending negligent companies when their employees are mangled in industrial accidents. If you like your humor to come with a side order of squirming, try this DVD out.

Also check out "Dope, Guns and F*cking Up Your Video Deck" from Amphetamine Reptile records. It's mostly music videos from AmRep bands, but there are some great bumper segments featuring Dr. Sphincter (I think "Factory Accident Sex" has some clips from these).

Erik the Viking (1989)

Time to re-evaluate Terry Jones

[8/10 · 28 October 2002]

Terry Jones is probably the least appreciated member of Monty Python, but viewing `Erik the Viking' should change your opinion on that. The movie's world is bleak and bitter (reading about Norse religion will show you that the Vikings lived in a bleak and bitter world), but Tim Robbins' idealistic and earnest Erik is just sweet and hopeful enough to keep things interesting, rather than completely depressing. The casting is excellent. Particularly noteworthy are Jones himself as a king who quite literally only sees what he wants to see; Eartha Kitt as a very effective and chilling Norse goddess (yeah, it sounds weird, but it's perfectly done); and Antony Sher, whose Loki is equal parts weasel and villain. You'll be disappointed if you come in expecting over-the-top Pythonesque zany-ness, but to me, this movie felt like a maturation of that style. The satire is still there but it's more sober than frenetic. I only rated this movie an 8 because I don't watch it very often, but it's probably my favorite of all the Pythons' solo projects.

American Movie (1999)

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful

[10/10 · 29 January 2000]

The subject matter of this film is potentially depressing: a man about thirty, with no job, little education, three kids from a failed relationship, living in his parents' house, but with a dream of directing feature films. But about a half-hour into the movie you realize that Mark Borchardt has a bottomless supply of drive and ambition--it's just that it's all channeled into his need to direct movies, and nothing else will make him happy. The movie jumps all over the emotional spectrum, but in the end you come away feeling happy, because you've just gotten to know some wonderful people. Go to see this--you'll end up wishing it was longer.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Surprise!

[10/10 · 29 January 2000]

The best thing about this movie was how much of it was left out of the commercials. A lot of studios seem to think that the only way to get you into the theater is to show you all the best parts in the advertising. But when it comes down to it, you don't really know that much about the plot until you actually get into the theater, and that just makes the movie that much more wonderful. I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying that the scenes where Malkovich goes inside his own head and of his subconscious are completely unexpected and absolutely wonderful. See this movie as soon as possible.