ccarhart Reviews

Brenda Starr (1989)

Brenda is sort of a star

[4/10 · 9 July 2010]

I searched for this for years, sniffing after it's bad reputation. Surprize-it's not that bad. The scenes with the comic strip artist are painful but brief. Most of the action is period 40's and the costumes are fun (Bob Mackie?). Brooke is just gorgeous, of course, and makes a plucky Brenda. Diana Scarwid is her nasty rival and Timothy Dalton her sexy love interest. If this had been done for TV (which it looks like) I think the critics would have been far kinder. If I recall, no one crucified Jill St. John for the 1976 version. This movie is strictly for comic book buffs or Brooke Sheilds fans.

CC

Glitter (2001)

A 40 Million Dollar High School Play

[5/10 · 8 July 2010]

So bad it's fabulous. This movie bombed big-time when it opened, I saw it in the theater with an audience of 5 other people and have watched it several times since. So much bad press at the time! There was a rumor that it was originally supposed to be set in the 80's, but that part was cut out, only the wacky costumes remained. That would explain the presence of Ann Magnusona as a press agent for the record company. Mariah is sincerely likable and sings beautifully. The same cannot be said for poor Padma Lakshima. Sort of an R&B version of "A Star Is Born", you will find yourself laughing in all the wrong places. Every cliché in the book and then some. There is a fashion photo shoot with silver body paint, and an evening dress that goes from stage to farm in one day. A classic rags to riches tale that seems to have been written by a teenager.

CC

Happy Birthday, Gemini (1980)

Comedy Philly style.

[8/10 · 8 July 2010]

This film was groundbreaking in 1980, it's a poignant story about love and acceptance told through laughter. This is the film version of "Gemini" which ran on Broadway in the late 1970's. The cast is dynamic, with Madeline Kahn in an astounding performance as Bunny. Rita Moreno is also hilarious playing Italian. The characters are colorful or stereotypes, or both. Anyone who has ever brought home friends and cringed around their families will relate, but also to the love and support that family can give. A feel good movie with some memorable lines and a really sweet soul.

CC

The Idolmaker (1980)

Before Simon Cowell

[8/10 · 8 July 2010]

I saw this originally on cable in the early 1980's. Watching it again, I was struck by the excellence of the casting. Tovah Feldshuh, Olympia Dukakis, and Ray Sharkey are fantastic and make this a real gem. The musical sequences really hold up, especially a very over the top Peter Gallagher (shades of Adam Lambert). The songs are a pastiche of early 60's bubblegum, with a touch of the 80's. Watching it you might want the soundtrack, which unfortunately isn't out on CD. There is a brief cameo by the legendary "Sweet Sensations" and "The London Fog" as soul group "The Boys and The Girls", a nice touch. The moment Darlene Love starts to sing in the opening sequence, you will be hooked on a really fun period in American pop music.

CC

Mascara (1987)

Maybe it's Maybelline, or maybe it's good trash.

[8/10 · 7 July 2010]

I saw this when it came out 20+ years ago and it stuck with me. On second viewing, it's a camp classic. What makes a cult film? It's intangible, but odd flourishes like dubbing the child's voice with an adult's, or the bevy of sinister transvestites, contribute greatly. Charlotte Rampling is beautiful and tortured. She also wears some really great Claude Montana outfits. Michael Sarazin plays her brother and though they grew up together as children, they have completely different accents. The best scenes are in the club, which is a delicious blend of cabaret/new wave/opera with a decadent Eurotrash clientèle. You will rewind a lot. There are plot twists and a glow-in-the-dark dress. This movie deserves a second life, have fun.

CC

Leap Year (2010)

It can't be the worst movie of 2010 if it came out in January

[2/10 · 6 July 2010]

Gorgeous scenery and Amy Adams can't miss? Yupp, they can. The first movie ever to show the Irish as unfriendly, distrusting of pretty strangers, and downright mean. It's not unwatchable, just unexpectedly sadistic at times (there are pratfalls and accidents galore for the sake of "laughs"). The plot is a standard fish out of water/ romantic comedy, where a snooty American gets taken down a notch or two by country folk. It veers into discomfort watching Amy Adams' character slide into the mud or step in sheep waste. The two leads are good actors, just wasted. So is the location. Rent "The Quiet Man".

CC