Dog Review: Election

Election

I rather like Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon but this film flat out grosses me out. A teacher's best friend boinks his 16-year-old pupil and keeps giving details to Broderick's character. Who doesn't do a thing to stop it.

If that wasn't gross enough, after the big scandal the girl stays at the school and tries to become class president. Broderick hooks up with the wife of his friend and and then there's some election fraud shenanigans.

I can only imagine that someone thought this would be edgy and funny, but it just irritated me. Pick a better teen angst movie. Like Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Pleasantville. Much more going on in them.

SWOCC has the DVD and find a VHS copy in Lakeside or North Bend.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126886/

Amazon: Election

Watchable Review: Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago

Since we're doing older films this week, I figured I'd go ahead with this one. First the music totally sets the mood as we see aristocratic Russia turn into the Soviet Union.

I know many people LOVED this film and it won several well deserved Oscars for Cinematography, costuming and score. These things made the film a beauty to behold. Sweeping scenes of fields of daffodils and snow covered tundra inspire the sense of vastness. Gem quality all.

I thought it just kind of went on a bit long. It teaches a romantic lesson of a country in transition. We see it through the eyes of basically three people. An aristocratic doctor, a woman he helps and the man she marries.

Because he has a valued skill Doctor Zhivago himself, Omar Sharif, finds himself accepted into the new Soviet Union. He and his wife try and cope with learning to live with other people surrounding them.

Before the revolution the doctor meets poor yet beautiful Lara played by Julie Christie. She goes on to marry political activist Pasha. All of Russia suffers in the severity of World War I and Lara inspires Zhivago's poetic heart.

Watch this for the beauty and music. Look in Coos Bay, Myrtle Point and SWOCC for the DVD. Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, Dora, Lakeside, Myrtle Point and Powers have VHS copies.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059113/

Buy this DVD from Amazon: Doctor Zhivago (Two-Disc Special Edition)

One DVD Three Soso Films

Edward G. Robinson: Triple Feature Movie Marathon

Two copies of this DVD at the Library in Bandon.
Amazon: Edward G. Robinson Triple Feature

Scarlet Street

Married everyman Edward G. Robinson comes across a beautiful woman being accosted by a man on the street. He saves her and she flirts with him, talking him into taking her out.

He seems to want to do anything to escape his dull life. The woman thinks he has money and she can play him for a sucker. The man beating her up turns out to be her good-for-nothing boyfriend. They scheme to get him to pay for an apartment to keep the woman in, on the guise that Robinson's character can use it for a studio.

When the woman tries to sell his paintings, they find out he has talent. Her boyfriend passes her off as the artist and she gets Robinson to paint more for her. Happening upon her making love to her boyfriend the artist flies into a rage and stabs her.

He gets away with the murder but it haunts him. I guess maybe for the time this might have been a very intriguing film. So you might find it better than I did. It kind of slogged to an inevitable conclusion. Look in Lakeside for the VHS copy of this film.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038057/

Amazon: Scarlet Street

The Red House

Crabby father figure Edward G. Robinson tries to keep strangers away from property next to his farm. When a boy starts getting deeply interested in his young ward, Meg, he tries to frighten the boy away from cutting through the woods.

The young teens fall in love and go exploring in defiance. The boy sees a strange house and then gets scared off by a woodsman we later find out the father figure paid to keep the kids clear of the spooky woods.

They make reference to some creepy backstories and we do find out the whole sad truth in the end, but I don't want to spoil it. Lets say it's the tale of another haunted man.

Lakeside also has a VHS copy of this film.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039757/

Amazon: Red House

The Stranger

Though directed by Orson Welles, I only liked this one slightly more than the other two. Really, it's his movie, but Edward G. Robinson got top billing. I guess he's the hero.

They took a really long convoluted route to the plot. Made just after World War II, Robinson chases a Nazi sympathizer to a small town hoping to find a bigger fish. Welles kills the man out of Robinson's sight, but the investigator figured out he's the bad guy.

Now it gets tricky. He's engaged to the local university president's daughter and she can't believe anything bad about her man. She kind of helps him and he makes a plot to kill her. Robinson does everything he can to prevent this and ends up fighting with Welles up in the clockworks of a church tower.

I'd seen the film before and forgotten all but the last few minutes. I like a more linear clear plot and a well defined reason for people to do what they do.

There's a DVD called Classic Film Noir in Bandon with a copy of this film on it. Also, North Bend has a VHS tape.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038991/

Amazon: The Stranger

Good Review: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

A young boy finds a strange little alien in this backyard and he hides it in his bedroom. Soon his siblings and he figure out the alien wants to fix his ship and go home. "E.T. phone home." became a huge catch phrase for the early 1980s.

The big bad military finds out about E. T. and want to dissect him, but the kid and his friends help him. In later copies director Steven Spielberg had the guns the military used digitally changed into walkie talkies. Some think it's a big deal, I really don't care. It's his film, he can do what he likes.

The boy and alien develop a friendship that can't help but charm all but the most hardened heart. Mostly safe for kiddies, but if you have any doubts, view it yourself first. There's a little funny juvenile language that you might not want them picking up.

Find the DVD in Coos Bay (though in mending), North Bend and SWOCC. So far I've seen VHS tapes in Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille, Dora, Lakeside and North Bend. It's an old movie so don't depend on them being in good shape.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/

E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (Widescreen Edition)

Happy 4th of JULY!

No reviews today. Have a great weekend and enjoy all that Coos County has to offer.

Dog Review: Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading

Some say these Coen brothers can do no wrong. I love a couple of films of theirs, but this isn't one of them. They love to confound us with weird plots that turn violent in what some call funny ways. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

A disgruntled numskull of a CIA agent goes off the rails and decides to write a memoir telling all kinds of secrets. While Mr. CIA is at the gym, an employee there, Brad Pitt, finds the disk of his story and tries to blackmail him with it.

John Malkovich plays Mr. CIA. His wife, Tilda Swinton screws around with George Clooney and they plot to run away together as soon as Clooney divorces his wife.

Throw in Frances McDormand as one of Pitt's cohorts and another Clooney lover and we're just wondering WHAT the HECK is going on here.

Honestly, I've had more entertainment value watching a bunch of clowns try and stuff themselves into a tiny car. And that's really who all these people are. A bunch of moronic clowns. We wouldn't have a whole brain if we combined all of them together.

I know many other people have different opinions of this film. I just didn't like it. Feel free to leave a comment and disagree.

Look in Bandon, Coquille, Coos Bay, Myrtle Point, North Bend and SWOCC

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887883/

Buy this DVD from Amazon: Burn After Reading

Movie Review: Danielle Steel's Zoya

Danielle Steel's Zoya

As made for TV movies go this held my interest pretty well. Melissa Gilbert stars as a Russian aristocrat girl who escapes with her family to Paris. Her mother wants her to marry a much older man but she has her own ideas and plans.

She meets the love of her life played by Bruce Boxleitner. They have a lovely life until he dies leaving her and her children in poverty. She goes to work for a clothier and after years of hard work opens her own shop.

No, Gilbert shouldn't do accents, but at least she sounded a LITTLE Russian. The plot made romance novel sense. If that's your kinda thing, have a look see.

Bandon has the only DVD copy of this film.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112796/

Buy the DVD from Amazon: Danielle Steel's Zoya - Parts 1 & 2

Soso Review: Fireproof

Fireproof

The poor acting and convoluted plot would have pushed this into a dog category but one concept saved it. It's called the love dare.

A husband and wife live together inside separate angry lives. He yells and her and she at him. He's a firefighter and risks his life daily and cannot understand why his wife doesn't just bow at his feet.

Feeling desperate he decides to go and talk to his father about it. His father tells him how he saved his marriage with this thing called the love dare. The 40 day program urges you to do daily steps to take care of your relationship. Most of them are faith based and even though things like that may turn some people off, I liked the idea.

Finding a way to be kind to your spouse is an extremely laudable goal. There seemed to be a backstory with this character's mother that I would have enjoyed knowing. I also wanted to know how he and his wife got so far off the rails. They had no memory of what got them together in the first place.

I'd like to have heard more about the steps but the ones I did hear seemed pretty good and could be applied in a secular manner. Like do acts of kindness expecting nothing in return. Give up relationship destroying patterns like looking for affection from people outside your marriage. Instead of praying for your spouse, you could just wish them peace and happiness. Though faith wasn't the flaw for this film. Pray if you like.

Look in Coos Bay, Dora, Myrtle Point, North Bend and Powers for the DVD.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129423/

Look for additional info on Amazon: Fireproof

Gem Review: The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes

In a plot to restore Napoleon Bonaparte to his thrown, a replacement is secretly brought in to fool the Brits keeping him prisoner. Then Napoleon serves aboard a merchant ship that's supposed to sail to France where someone will meet him.

Alas, the captain decides to sail to a more profitable destination and no one meets the emperor. He finds his way into Paris but the man who might help him recapture his place have all grown old and died. One of them so recent as to be fresh in his coffin.

The man's widow lets Napoleon stay the night as he introduces himself as the identity of the man who replaced him. The conspirators hoped that the impostor would wait until the real emperor could rally people, then he'd announce he's not the man. But he started to enjoy the lavish lifestyle and soon refused to tell his captures of the emperor's escape.

The real Napoleon helps the window manage her business and they become lovers. He tries to make contact with some other men who fought with him at Waterloo, but he can't find anyone reliable.

His replacement writes a book filled with lies of his exploits. He becomes enraged and goes into a shop and gets a uniform for himself and starts to claim his place. His new lady thinks he's gone insane and asks a doctor friend to consider putting him in an asylum. While there, he realizes that no one is going to believe him so he climbs the walls and goes back to his woman.

He decides he's better off just living this simple life than trying to recapture his once glorious life.

The subtle charms of Ian Holm's emperor will make you believe this story. You'll start to wonder if it could be true. You'll also fall in love with the sweet woman with a kind heart.

Pop down to Bandon or place a hold on this delightful film.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282768/

Buy this DVD from Amazon: The Emperor's New Clothes

PS I bumped this up to a gem after I started out as a good. It grew on me more as I savored the memory of watching it.

Some Thoughts

I decided to let today's review shine. I can't decide among the dogs I got on my list.

I was thinking about the library and its site. There's a steering committee that seems to have disappeared from use. No one monitors it and I'm the last post back from April. But there it sits, prominently on the front page of the library site.

I realize I'm narrowly focussed on the DVDs but the whole system has so many interesting things going on. I've wanted to read a book and they did or did not have it so I would request it. Found out the other day you can "hold" magazines. Just the old stuff, but that's pretty cool.

I'm still trying to get them to fix the Ed Wood Box Set. So someone can place a hold on any of the films in the collection. I'd also like them to allow patrons to hold older DVDs only in Coos Bay and North Bend. I mean a working person in Dora might like to see Children of a Lesser God, but as it stands, it's only in Coos Bay. I suppose it would make more work, they'd have to have two categories. One for new DVDs one for old.

I have an idea for doing flyers and permission to put them up in Coos Bay. Though I should check again. We got a new printer so I have a good chance to actually get it done.

OKAY, enough for now. Party on. If you have any questions about the library, I can try and find answers. Leave a comment.

Edgy Wilderness Watchables

Deliverance

Four friends take a river trip down a wilderness about to be dammed up and flooded. They wish to view the scenery before it's lost forever. Their adventure takes a terrible turn and they run afoul of some back woods folk. It's not a film for children AT ALL.

They have to fight for their survival to escape the abusive mountain men. A pleasant male bonding trip turns into life threating struggles with both nature and humans. Look for outstanding performances from Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox.

Do not see this film before a river trip. A long time ago a boss of mine took us all on a retreat of river rafting. On the bus ride out, he picked this as something we'd enjoy watching. Cruel!

Library: DVD; Coquille. VHS; North Bend.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068473/

Amazon: Deliverance (Deluxe Edition)

The Edge

A rich man takes some buddies into the wilderness to test his connection to the wild. It's clear everyone has a money agenda around this guy. Anthony Hopkins plays the quirky billionaire and Alec Baldwin smarms as his "friend" who is sneaking off with Hopkins wife.

A group goes off in a helicopter to view some scenery and something goes terribly wrong and they crash. Hopkins and Baldwin survive and fight for dominance leading the group to safety.

The scenery truly makes this film worthwhile. It's beautiful and foreboding. It seems the filmmakers were trying to teach the lesson that rich men have no friends. I didn't quite buy into it. I think there are plenty of people who value things beyond money. THIS rich guy just didn't know how to cultivate that.

Library: DVD; Bandon, Myrtle Point & North Bend. VHS; Coquille, Dora & Lakeside.

IMDB:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119051/

Amazon: The Edge (Widescreen Edition)

Easy Rider

Long haired hippy drug dealers Billy and Wyatt, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda, set out on a motorcycle road trip to see the country. This film attempts to explore the counter culture of the late 60s.

They experience commune life, prejudice and kindness all mashed together in a drug filled hazy attempt at challenging the "establishment." Some of the best commentary comes from Jack Nicholson's character George Hanson. He takes up with the traveling boys after they're tossed in jail for being vagrants.

He helps them get a release with their hair intact and they travel on to another town he has no status in. They're driven out of a diner and rejected from motels and at a camp out George expresses that people are afraid of their sense of freedom. He says the establishment can turn dangerous if you challenge them.

True to the foreshadowing words, someone sneaks into their camp as they sleep and beats George to death. The other two barely escape with their lives.

I found this a really interesting if convoluted film. Well worth a watch, but be aware, lots of drug use and sexcapades go on. It's for grown ups for sure. You'd think with all the reputation for drug use in the real life of these filmmakers, the story and filming would be a lot more erratic, but no, Dennis Hopper directed an enlightening film.

Library: DVD; Coos Bay, Coquille & Myrtle Point. VHS; Coos Bay.

IMDB:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064276/

Amazon: Easy Rider

Soso Documentaries

The Dream is ALIVE

Intriguing. People on IMDB loved this film. It's alright. I just felt it didn't really show enough and it's old data. Try and find something newer that documents the space shuttle program on film. Maybe I'm just too jaded.

Look at the Amazon collection of DVDs on space though. That might be a way to go. I know many are at the library.

Library: Myrtle Point.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089050/

Amazon: The Dream Is Alive (IMAX)
The IMAX Space Collection (Hail Columbia/The Dream Is Alive/Blue Planet/Destiny in Space/Mission to Mir)

Echoes of the Blue & Gray Volumes I & II

This documents a bunch of Civil War soldiers on film along with discussions of their life. I'm no war buff, but I found this rather dull. Try Ken Burns on "The Civil War". That has tons more interesting information and organized and presented better.

Library: Bandon.

IMDB: No Information

Amazon: No Information

Eisenhower on D-Day

Again, I'm no war buff and I would have liked to know a lot more details of Ike's life, interests and personality. Though do watch the special features instead of the main film. They run through the information better. It's done by the History Channel.

I'm pretty sure Gerald McRaney did the narration but I can't find anything on it on his IMDB list.

Library: Bandon.

IMDB: No Information

Amazon: America's Greatest Victories: Eisenhower on D-Day Dvd! History Channel

Elvis:
His Best Friend Remembers

Joe Esposito tells all about the king's life from the time he met him to his death in 1977. I'm sure a real fan would find all the behind the scenes life history quite interesting. For me, it just went on long and didn't give me anything that really intrigued or enlightened me.

Library: Bandon.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327680/

Amazon: Elvis - His Best Friend Remembers

Good Review: Enchanted.

Enchanted

I'm a happy person. I like stories that inspire and tickle my senses. I don't see the world as a scary foreboding place. Some say that *I* live in fantasy land, but I think life is just what you decide it is.

Amy Adams plays an animated fairy princess who finds her prince then his evil queen step mom tosses her into reality. Life goes pretty well for her and she keeps some of her fairy powers, but has to deal with the realities of dodging cars and having no place to stay.

Enter reality prince. Patrick Dempsey has a little girl and a girlfriend he likes and he happens upon our damsel in distress trying to knock on the door of a billboard castle. He brings her to his New York apartment and she ends up charming her way into staying the night.

In the morning she sings to all her woodland creature friends (rats, pigeons and roaches) and they show up to help her clean the apartment. Then she makes a dress for herself out of curtains. It's priceless seeing the pattern holes in the draperies.

Finally her prince shows up into reality. Her chipmunk friend, Pip, told him she fell down there. When Pip joins the prince he can no longer talk. When the evil step queen's assistant shows up he can't get through to the prince.

I enjoy how fantasy bleeds into reality. I didn't think Adams quite pulled off the singing and dancing role with as much style as someone else might have. And none of the songs stuck in my head.

The end sequence looked neat but kinda brought me out of the exuberance of the film. Susan Sarandon materializes into reality as the evil step queen who turns herself into a giant dragon.

You'll find this good film suitable for the whole family. Girls, young and old, will apprecaite it more than men. Look in Bandon, Coos Bay, Coquille and Myrtle Point for the DVD.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0461770/

Amazon: Enchanted (Widescreen Edition)

I'm posting this without an edit, so if you see a flaw leave a comment and I'll fix it.

Gem Review: Eagles: Hell Freezes Over

Eagles:
Hell Freezes Over

This band sung the background to my teens so they're a huge favorite of mine. I still have Don Henley in my head while he sings about forgiveness. Each bandmate sang new and old tunes, sharing the spotlight.

I chose not to watch all the special features because I didn't really like seeing the little bit at the start of the concert. I felt it detracted from the music and didn't quite explain the title and such. Nonetheless, I still loved it.

I liked that they played from their rock AND country roots. Take it Easy is one of my favorite all time songs. Of course they started with the beautiful poetry and melodic sounds of Hotel California.

Look in Bandon for both the music cd and DVD of this concert.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123815/

Buy the DVD from Amazon: The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over

Ed Wood Box Set

All these came from the Ed Wood Box Set found in Bandon and North Bend. If you want to put a hold on them, you'll have to have a clerk do it for you. They're all TERRIBLE films, but it's interesting to see Bela Lugosi in his later years. From some of his early films that I reviewed a few weeks ago, it wasn't that much of a stretch to see him in an Ed Wood production. He's no Barrymore. He might have been able to hold his own with a decent script or director. Hollywood abandoned him.

Night of the Ghouls

A crooked conman tries to bilk rich people with fake ghosties of their dear departed, but it turns out he truly did raise the dead. Sadly, my plot summery makes it sound interesting, but it's so not.

A police detective comes by to investigate mysterious goings on and pokes around the haunted old house. he meets the new owner, Dr Acula, (groan) who invites him to a seance. The cop discovers secret doors within the meeting room and goes exploring.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156843/

Amazon: See Below

The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr

This almost might be in a different category because it WAS somewhat interesting hearing the story of Ed Wood from the people involved, but I think they could have done a better job with the material. They could have asked different more probing questions and found out more about why Lugosi's son thought so little of Wood.

I'm glad to know that some people tried to encourage Wood to try more to make a better picture. It's clear he lived in his own world and followed his own impatient plan. He didn't have the talent he thought he did, but he was quite an interesting guy.

IMDB says that this film gives the reasons a film like Plan 9 from Outer Space could be made. I don't agree. I think it gives insight into Wood, but not really how and why he was the way he was.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113270/

Amazon: See Below

Glen or Glenda

I didn't think there could be a rating below dog. There was absolutely no reason to have Bela Lugosi in this film. My only guess is Wood thought he was super cool.

The topic of transvestitism might make an interesting film, but not in the hands of Ed Wood. Two different men are exemplified in the film, one who we only see bits and pieces of through flashback, the other, is Edward D. Wood Jr. himself as the title Glen/Glenda.

We see a psychiatrist speak to a police detective about the behavior of men dressing as women. I'm sure much of the conversation reflects the moral outrage of the time, but some of the conclusions are a little naive. I think it was even worse than Plan 9.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045826/
.

Bride of the Monster

Yet another film in search of a plot. The title didn't fit the story. The "bride" and the "monster" didn't relate at all. Bela Lugosi at least had a character to play that made sense, sort of.

A scientist guy tries to make atomic super men and he's tried and failed with several so far. He feeds his failures to a giant squid. A girl newspaper reporter happens upon the goings on and gets herself mesmerized by Lugosi's character. Because everyone knows they teach scientists to mesmerize women their first year. (eyeroll)

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047898/

Look for this Box Set on Amazon: The Ed Wood Box (Glen or Glenda / Jail Bait / Bride of the Monster / Plan 9 from Outer Space / Night of the Ghouls / The Haunted World of Ed Wood)