magpie13 Reviews

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)

A Fun 70's Beatles-Themed Romp

[8/10 · 10 June 2018]

I saw this twice in theaters as a kid. Now, 40 years later I rewatched it and still felt that naive sense of charm that the movie was trying to impart. It reminds me of the original "The Muppet Movie". Tons of celebrity cameos and over-the-top sets/costumes.

It is a terrible Beatle's tribute movie (hence all the bad reviews), but a great 70's camp musical (a La "Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Xanadu", "Phantom of the Paradise").

Rent it and have some fun.

Elvis Found Alive (2012)

A fun "What If"

[1 March 2016]

Don't take this too seriously.

I would actually like to see a series of these 'interviews' with historic celebrities. "Einstein Found ALive", "Jesus Found Alive", "Caveman Found Alive".

Using stock footage, public documents and existing testimonials the producers have crafted a compelling look at the life and times of Elvis Presley.

Get over the whole 'he is still alive' angle and enjoy a semi-autobiographical narrative of a celebrity who lived through WWII, the Civil Rights movement, the Summer of Love and the Nixon/Carter/Reagan presidencies.

It's an entertaining telling of the Elvis story with some socio-political biases (Elvis hates Obama).

I like Elvis' music in the same way I like Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. Fun 'Oldies' stuff.

This is more of a 'My Dinner with Andre (Elvis)' and should be appreciated on that level.

The World's End (2013)

More Dark than Larf

[9/10 · 10 February 2016]

This is my favorite of the 'Cornetto' trilogy.

It's not the funniest ('Shaun of the Dead' is the funniest).

But it is the most (I hate too say) 'Mature'.

It's the story of a man who has never 'grown up' and his efforts to recreate his youth. His friends have all moved on. His town has been incorporated and his life has become a Goth cliché.

The comedy of this film often makes fun of this sad man which makes many viewers uncomfortable. If they had made this as a drama it would win an Oscar.

It's a new kind of 'tragi-comedy' and not for everyone.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Brilliant (if you're worthy)

[24 June 2015]

So many bad reviews about "brainless action movie".

So many people not seeing below the surface.

First - The 'Stupid' plot is about reaching a world of 'Green' and life for the future. It's not complicated, but doesn't make it 'stupid'.

Second - You have a protagonist who has stolen a valuable resource chased by Gas, War and Provision monopolies. If you're mad because she's a strong woman, then you have issues.

Third - Mad Max is caught up in the plot exactlty the way he was caught up in the plot of the other films. He is not the main character for the entire story, just a player. Even in the first film he was just out for revenge. In the second he joined a refugee camp. In the third he stumbled into a children's cult.

Now - look at the obstacles. An (apparently) mutant leader starving his people for water. His mentally impaired brother/son? drinking mother's milk for sustainance. His 'War-Boys' brainwashed into a Valhalla like belief in the afterlife (Islam/Christianity? - Just sayin') I don't want to dive deeper, but this is not some stupid action film.

There is more going on here than 'On Golden Pond'.

Absentia (I) (2011)

Brilliant Soundtrack

[8/10 · 9 October 2014]

I will let others gush over the restrained horror that lets the viewer provide the disturbing visuals the film hints at but never shows.

The music by Beezle is terrifying. It basically alternates two notes at various intervals that makes your brain split into anticipating the note change and the action on the screen. Imagine Brian Eno doing "Music for Haunted Airports".

The acting is top-notch, especially Dave Levine as the detective.

It's a shame that such wonderful films get overshadowed by gore-heavy big-budget flicks.

This film did not make walking into a pedestrian underpass as easy as it use to be.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

Beautiful Sets

[2/10 · 14 July 2014]

A Hollywood friend of mine once told me a story of a director who made a terrible movie with wonderful carpentry pieces. After the filming, the sets found their way into the director's custom-built home. I'm just saying.

This movie has some of the most beautiful carpentry I've ever seen in a film. Hand-carved doors, spiral staircases and parquet floors.

I love GDT but this is a low point for him. Treat yourself to "The Devil's Backbone" to see what GDT can do for horror films.

The original is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. See it first.

Great Performances: Passing Strange (2009) Season 38, Episode 7

A Modern Classic

[10/10 · 24 March 2014]

I stumbled on this as part of the 'Showtime' cable offering in 2014. The description was: "A young African-American travels to Europe on a journey of self-discovery in order to explore music and become a successful artist" Seriously.

Not: "The Tony award winning Broadway musical that uses styles from Gospel to Punk Rock to illustrate the globe-trotting soul searching journey of a young man searching for "The Real" of life. Directed by Spike Lee and featuring the music of Mark Stewart ('The Negro Problem')." I am a huge fan of 'The Negro Problem' and recognized Mark Stewart's voice instantly. I would rate this up with 'Jesus Christ Superstar' as an epic musical.

See it.

In Time (2011)

Great premise, poor execution

[7/10 · 12 July 2013]

Justin Timberlake does fine. I like him more as an actor than singer.

One of the film's interesting challenges was that no actor could look over 25. Therefore we have Justin Timberlake as Jason Statham, Amanda Siegfried as Winona Ryder and Cillian Murphy as Gary Cole. I like the movie until it became a "Natural Born Killers" buddy movie. So much could have been done with the premise and it became a cheap action film. Young writers please watch this and come up with a thoughtful version of this universe. I liked the idea of time merchants; Restaurants, hotels, pawn shops all running on a time profit. The idea of remaining time after death was also not explored. What about a government running on time? How are taxes collected/distributed? Fun stuff!

Treasure Planet (2002)

Pirates and spaceships! What's not to like?

[28 August 2004]

I cut Disney a lot of slack these days.

As far as I'm concerned the company that brought us 'Snow White' and 'Pinnochio' can produce as much garbage as they want.

I've quietly suffered through 'Pocahontas', 'Mulan' and 'The Lion King' and enjoyed 'Aladdin' 'Toy Story' and 'Monsters Inc.'

<SPOILERS AHEAD MATEY>

'Treasure Planet' was a pleasant surprise. The story of a rebellious, delinquent, fatherless teen who journeys through the stars and learns about accountability and responsibility is a nice break from the cutesy pablum we've ben given of late.

The relationship between protagonist Jim Hawkins and substitute father Long John Silver is excellently developed. I kept thinking of a Bizarro world version of Peter Pan being mentored by Captain Hook.

The mutinous crew, murder of the first mate and subsequent attempts to kill the Captain, the Doctor and Jim are very un-Disneylike. Un-Disneylike as well is Silver's growing conflict over his fondness for Jim and his own villainy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would recommend it to those who like 'darker' animation. It is definitely for older kids. Not for violence, but because it's slightly slower-paced than your standard Disney fare.

Marq says check it out. 7 out of 10.

Adaptation. (2002)

Multiple Personalities and Multiple Films

[17 June 2004]

Nicholas Cage plays a real-life writer and his fictional alter-ego in this engaging story of inspiration and integrity.

To me this film was about a writer who wants to create something beautiful but is slowly being seduced by the urge to 'Hollywoodize' his work.

Internally he's shy and insecure, but outwordly he puts on a false front of ambition and congeniality.

The film presents the two sides of this character as twin brothers. One who is trying to adapt a serious piece of literature, the other who tries his hand at writing an action film where the main character has multiple personalities.

Slowly the serious writer learns to embrace the base ideas of his 'brother' and even asks him for advice on how to end his film. Naturally his alter-ego suggests a ridiculous action-packed climax.

This film is to be viewed on several levels. Once you get past the fact that it's not about what it seems to be about it becomes a masterpiece.

The Hunted (2003)

So bad, it's almost good (but not quite)

[19 March 2003]

Read the other comments for the lashing this film deserves. I'll just point out a few things in the first 20 minutes that make this film so hard to watch. Mostly the leaps in logic that are far beyond those of normal human beings:

WARNING: SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





The film starts in British Columbia. TLJ chases some bloody snow before finding a friendly wolf that lets him treat its injured paw without so much as a growl. Later TLJ agrees to help find some killer in some forest.

Cut to: Kosovo, where a team of 10 Special-Ops guys send one member in to penetrate a captured Albanian mosque (heavily guarded by three guys smoking cigarettes outside). This crack team of fighters shoot randomly for no particular reason while BDT sneaks in and kills the unarmed bad guy.

Cut to: A forest where 2 hunters see a deer (or a guy or something) and chase it. The deer (or guy) taunts them then throws a knife at a tree. The hunters run around till (the guy) kills them.

Of course the hunters are discovered 15 minutes later (as most slain hunters in the deep woods are) cut into pieces. The dismembered corpses are photographed and copies are sent back in time so that TLJ can see them, agree to catch the killer and make it to the crime scene in time to track the culprit. Or maybe the pictures he saw were a different crime scene. He says something about the killer eating the corpses. Ewwww.

In any case. TLJ arrives on the scene while it is still crawling with about 30 FBI agents searching the area, some on horseback. Because that's how you search a 100 yard circle. On horseback. In the woods.

The movie gets even more ridiculous as it progresses.

I saw this for free and wanted my money back.

Stay away...stay away...

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

The Horror, The Horror

[21 October 2002]

Oh my god,

Unless you think the mix of Nirvana and Lady Marmalade, Madonna and Marylin Monroe or the blasphemous inclusion of showgirls singing Bowie's nihilistic epic 'Diamond Dogs' is 'Brilliant'.

Stay away.

Watch Rocky Horror, Phantom of the Paradise, Jesus Christ Superstar or even Buffy's 'Once More With Feeling'.

This movie goes beyond horrible.

However, if you know nothing about music history - this is the film for you.

I'd almost rather see 'Annie' again, at least it had Tim Curry...

Still Cringing, quivering in a corner...

Marck

Hudson Hawk (1991)

Way ahead of its time

[25 August 2001]

I am a huge fan of 'bad' movies. Hudson Hawk is not one of them. I was never a 'Moonlighting' fan so didn't make an effort to see it upon release. It was only after I begn to enjoy Bruce Willis' film career that I went in search for this film.

I finally saw it on video in 1996 and thought it was hilarious. Then I read the reviews and wondered - am I a complete idiot? Am I the only one who almost fell down laughing when Leonardo DaVinci glances at his Mona Lisa model who then grins at him with a mouthful of rotting teeth? Am I the only one who thought the jump cut from Bruce falling into an awning to landing in a EZ Boy chair in the net scene clever editing? And the over the top performance of Sandra Bernhardt and Richard Grant as the Villain's villains were so comic-book kitsch as to be surreal!

Then I started to see similarities in 'Fifth Element'. Crazy sets, crazy characters, outrageous action sequences.

This film is a surreal, absurdist comedy that was about 10 years ahead of it's time. Like a previous comment, I compare it to 'Last Action Hero'. It's goofy, escapist fun - at the expense of many of its contemporary action flicks (hence the panning).

If anyone reading this knows Bruce, please tell him 'Hudson Hawk' is brilliant. I'm sorry he had to live through the crap it generated upon release - but sometimes art goes that way. Kudos to James Coburn, David Caruso, Frank Stallone and the rest of the cast who saw what I saw in the script.

I bought it on DVD and am only disappointed that there were no extras. Heck - 'Big Trouble in Little China' had a whole extra disc!

Check it out if you have a finely-tuned sense of humor. Avoid if you thought 'True Lies' had any redeeming qualities.

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)

Well, It's no 'Ishtar' but...

[25 August 2001]

You people are insane and m' toissing the point.

When I was a teenager I used to take my friends out to the worst movie I could find on my birthday. I subjected them to everything from 'Plan 9 from Outer Space' to 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'

My piece dah rezistence was 'The Garbage Pail Kids Movie'.

This movie is so bad, it is almost impossible to find.

It makes 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 look like Citizen Kane'.

Please release this on DVD. In a universe where it's easier for me to buy 'Erin Brokovich' than 'The Garbage Pail Kids Movie' there is no god.

The Jerk (1979)

The Funniest Movie Ever Made

[9/10 · 25 August 2001]

The number of laughs in this movie has been scientifically found to outweigh the number of laughs in 'Airplane', 'Blazing Saddles' and 'Young Frankenstein'(by a very slim margin, and not combined).

However, the visual sight-gags (wine-glass dispensing cooler, 'Pizza-in-a-cup', stolen-church, and 'Bigger house' sequences, etc.) do outnumber most of the others.

It amazes me how many Steve Martin fans never saw this movie. Although many folks who who think 'LA Story' and 'Parenthood' are the cutting-edge of comedy may find this film unfunny.

This is the modern Marx Brothers movie. That is, if there was only one Marx and they did jokes about psychotic serial-killers and leather-clad motorcycle dominatrixes.

Wizards (1977)

"Funny you should say that"

[25 August 2001]

I saw Wizards as a double feature with 'Phantom of the Paradise' in 1977.

Needless to say I sat through both films a second time, and went home in a daze.

Upon MANY repeated viewings I still find 'Wizards' a powerful film. It is a visceral cartoon - one of the earliest domestic releases to feature PG-Rated bloody deaths.

The fantasy setting was tempered by contemporary language, weapons and music (I've emailed Mr. Bakshi trying to get a copy of the soundtrack - but it seems to be non-existent).

The concept of a future generation using Third-Reich propaganda to build morale and start a war is terrifying. It accurately reflects the usage of John Wayne WW2 films to inspire courage in the US.

The Peace character is especially chilling, An assassin reprogrammed to abhor violence. Then there is Avatar, a lecherous wizard who would rather boff his girlfriend than fight his evil brother and finally Weehawk, the traditional hero - fighting for everything good and right.

The final scene has stayed with me forever 'Now I'm going to show you something mother never showed you, you SOB.' has been one of the few true 'anti-hero' climaxes I've ever scene in a film.

Anyway - just see this movie if for no other reason than to tear it apart here!

Radio Flyer (1992)

My take on the ending (spoiler)

[22 July 2001]

I won't go into detail about the synopsis, acting and music as it has been lauded adequately by others.

I do wish to explain the ending (and film) as I saw it.

There was no 'little brother'.

He was created by the older son to take the abuse, misery and loneliness he himself was enduring. The 'escape'at the end was his goodbye to his imaginary self. His postcards to himself are a reminder of those difficult times.

I haven't seen the film in years, but this idea has stayed with me from my first viewing.

An excellent film.