Bill Crider: Congo (1985 film); ...the trailer
Brent McKee: NBC's 2013-2014 slate
Brian Arnold: Street Smart
BV Lawson: Media Murder
Dan Stumpf: Belladonna; Temptation (1946 film)
Ed Gorman/Dave Kehr: The Deadly Companions
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| Scott and Bailey |
Evan Lewis: "Thugs with Dirty Mugs" (and a sadly annoying XBox ad)
George Kelley: Scott & Bailey
How Did This Get Made?: Joyful Noise
Iba Dawson: TCM Film Fest 2013
Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.: Coming Distractions: June on TCM; The Chase & Sanborn Hour (with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy)
Jackie Kashian: Janeane Garofalo and Maria Bamford; Joe Starr and Transformers
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| Stranger Than Fiction credits montage stills |
Jake Hinkson: Silverado
James Reasoner: Stranger Than Fiction
Janet Varney/The JV Club: Casey Wilson (Casey Wilson's mother, activist Kathy Wilson)
Jerry House: Trouble with Father: "Teacher's Pet"
J. Kingston Pierce: I Love Trouble (1948)
Juri Nummelin: Cimarron Strip: "Knife in the Darkness" (script by Harlan Ellison)
Kliph Nesteroff: Jean Carroll on The Frankie Laine Show
Laura: Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics, Vol. IV; New Morals for Old
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| Ghost Ship |
Lucy Brown: Experiment Perilous; Wakefield Drama Festival
Marc Maron/WTF: Noah Baumbach
Marty McKee: The Humanoid
Michael Shonk: Ideal TV Crime-Drama Schedules
Mystery Dan: Ghost Ship
Patti Abbott: Mr. and Mrs. Bridge
Prashant Trikannad: Mel Gibson 1979: Mad Max and Tim
Randy Johnson: The Outsider (1968 television series); Adios, Gringo
Rick: The Seven Best Ray Harryhausen Movies
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| Safety Not Guaranteed |
Ron Scheer: Gunfighters
Scott Cupp: Safety Not Guaranteed
Sergio Angelini: Bryan Forbes
Stacia Jones: Summertime (1955 film)
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| Who Are You, Polly Magoo? |
Television Obscurities: MeTV and Bounce Nielsen Ratings
Tim Lucas: The Unnaturals
Yvette Banek: House of Flying Daggers
Todd Mason: from Europe: some satirical films: "Ersatz," Who Are You, Polly Magoo? and "Dirty Girl"
and
Good Casts, Mixed Results:
About Cherry (2011) occasionally trembles on the verge of becoming good, then reverts to being the Showgirls of the web porn industry. With a cast featuring such solid performers as Diane Farr, Lili Taylor, and Heather Graham (all of whom have had their share of bad roles and bad projects), the film, written by porn vet and academically-serious writing student Lorelei Lee, who also has a supporting role, and first-time director and writing vet Stephen Elliott, seems unsurprisingly well-informed about the porn industry, but the human dynamics in the script are the kind of ridiculous soap that have made the earlier film the anti-classic that it is. Dev Patel and James Franco's roles are particularly goofy as presented, and model/actress Ashley Hinshaw is certainly prettier than the part requires, but she also radiates the kind of smug certainty throughout that this is all Just Right that marked Elizabeth Berkley's performance in that other film...to me, somewhat amusingly in context, she looks as if she could be Graham's younger sister. (Currently in rotation on The Movie Channel.)
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| Vamps |
Conversely, Vamps (2012) strikes me as a fine film woefully overlooked since barely being released last year (and with a rather more diffuse home-video market than there was even a few years ago, less likely to triumph in that arena). A charming, occasionally too-sitcom-schtick dark fantasy about humane vampires (amid a rather mixed bunch in vampire society) played rather well by Alicia Silverstone and Krysten Ritter, it might particularly appeal to those who like the kind of fantasy Thorne Smith, Unknown Fantasy Fiction magazine, and the post-Peter Beagle urban fantasy folks are often likely to deliver...Amy Heckerling's screenplay and direction aren't flawless, but are certainly deft enough, with 12-step programs, the Patriot Act and its implications, and other vexing matters dealt and played with, and a number of clever touches along the way. The supporting cast includes Sigourney Weaver and Wallace Shawn as our primary (though not quite utter) villains, Richard Lewis as an aging (still human) former flame of Silverstone's Goody (who was born in 1841 and turned as a young mother and abolitionist activist), and Malcolm McDowell as a (mostly) rather reformed Vlad Tepes. So, cute but never too terribly cute, and more often clever...definitely worth a look. (Currently in rotation on Starz.)
Hadn;t heard about VAMPED at all, thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteWell Todd, I'm still recuperating from Mother's Day hijinks, ergo - my movie post is coming along s l o w l y.
ReplyDeleteApologies once again. But slow and steady wins the race. :)
Thanks again for hosting A/V TUESDAY! I called WNED and they told me they're "considering" SCOTT & BAILEY.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you'll like it, Sergio, when you catch up with it.
ReplyDeleteNever any rush, nor need to apologize, Yvette...but I apologize to the MYSTERY*FILE folks, whose site I forgot to check this morning.
George, viewer interest, particularly member interest, will probably spur them.
And thank you all!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm FINALLY up and running, Todd. Though my film is not exactly an overlooked or forgotten one. :)
ReplyDeleteI cheated.
How *dare* you, Yvette? (I think you'll be forgiven by all.) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJust posted mine, Todd.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to correct you, for a change. The title of the Alicia Silverstone movie is VAMPS. It's also on DVD in the US for anyone who wants to check for it at their local video store. Also available from Netflix. (Not everyone has cable TV, you know.)
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed VAMPS...thanks. That would be the reptile brain enjoying knowing the more common word (at least in my own writing). And I figured most could find the DVD on their own...not too many films hit the pay channels w/o some sort of home video offer...though some do, sadly.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Juri!
Todd, thanks for the link to my post. I have a feeling I might have seen VAMPS on cable, Alicia Silverstone's name ringing a bell. But then, we get to watch (if we like) B-grade vampire films with B-grade cast (not including Silverstone) that sometimes makes me wonder if I'm watching the same film again. I remember watching cheap horror/fantasy flicks in the VCR days.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but it would've been within the last several months, Prashant...the film was released late last year. Silverstone has had a career over the last decade and a half, with her first big splash in the based-on-Jane Austen CLUELESS. This one, at least, isn't the typical (even post-BUFFY) vampire comedy.
ReplyDeleteTodd, I have watched a few episodes of BUFFY... but it never really caught on with me. Hollywood films are often shown on cable TV within three to four months of their release in theatres and sometimes they include blockbusters as well, the premieres announced with much fanfare several days in advance. HBO, probably because of its vast copyrighted database of films, takes the lead.
ReplyDelete