Tracs Movie Reviews
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Family movie reviews for "Tracs" sorted by average review score:
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Released in DVD by New Line Studios (04 June, 2002)
Starring: Martin Lawrence and Lynn Whitfield
Average review score: 
Uneven, but definitely another side of Martin Lawrence
Love means never having to say, "I'm Psycho..."...one day a bright young playa decides to go for the creme de la creme. An older lady with a little more style and a little more $ than the average club hopper. But see, the playa's kinda hung up on the lady who left him behind for the armed forces. Soldier girl shows up right in the middle of his playa antics with the classy dame and he finds out it ain't easy pulling the plug. That's where the cheese hits the fan. Martin's prat falls in response to Lynn Whitfield's evil woman scorned, starts out a bit funny, then it gets serious. Way too serious. Like, downright too real. As the adage goes, "You catch more flies with honey...", the powers that be here should have kept the film comedic. It would be a sought after video now, if it had been kept comedic.
Enjoyable & FunThis movie will have you laughing from beginning to end. Martin Is Humerous as usual and Lynn played the revenge role well. Great for a friends in house movie Day
Guinevere
Released in DVD by Miramax Home Entertainment (03 June, 2003)
Sarah Polley has built a reputation on her eerie calm--most of her performances seem dominated by an icy, implacable stare. That's why her performance in Guinevere is such a revelation. Polley plays Harper, a young woman from a wealthy but troubled family who's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. At her older sister's wedding, she meets Connie (Stephen Rea), a photographer as old as her parents, with whom she begins an affair. Their relationship--partly an education in the arts, partly an escape from the repression of her family--takes a variety of twists and turns, none of them predictable, all of them questionable, all of them genuine. The movie is clear-eyed about the situation: Connie isn't idealized, and is in many ways a creepy older man, neurotic and self-aggrandizing, but he also offers a kind of emotional support that Harper has never had. Whenever the movie seems to be turning into some bohemian fantasy, something happens that returns it to earth, sometimes with an uncomfortable jolt. It's unsettling, insightful, charming, scary, absurd, and all too real. All the performances are excellent--Jean Smart, as Harper's mother, is smart and cuttingly bitter; Rea is by turns sweet and manipulative, honest and self-deluded. But above all, Polley displays a combination of vulnerability and steely determination that makes Guinevere utterly compelling. The ending is curious--I still haven't made up my mind about it. But for a movie as committed to the contradictions of human relationships as this one, there's nothing wrong with that. --Bret Fetzer
Average review score:
No secrets here.I haven't seen Rea since his role in "don't reveal the secret!" Crying Game, although I've heard that he did well in Still Crazy. Guenevere, though, explores an odd mentor-lover relationship between starving artist Rea and blue-blood, WASPy Polley. The age difference here wasn't the only issue, oddly enough--rather it was the strange turns that inevitably develop between people who knowingly enter a relationship where tutoring is an intended part of the romance. Rea's artist has a long history of shacking up with young women and turning them into "true" artists, be they painters, sculptors, dancers, or in Polley's case, photographers. And although I normally would balk at the willingness with which these women handed themselves over to Rea's well-worn lines and drunken philosophies, Guenevere managed to avoid the squeamishness that I feel, for example, whenever I see Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones together. Be sure to pay attention to Jean Smart's dead-on analysis of daughter Polley and Rea's relationship; it's eloquent and brutal.
sweet and certainly sarahsarah polley is one of the most talented and perhaps over looked young actresses in the biz today next to kate winslet. this has to be easily one of my favorite films and i've seen it quite a few times. ms.polley comes to us again in another great role and perhaps her best since the unforgettable the sweet hereafter. here we find her playing the insecure, confused and somewhat angry harper who desperately needs love and a bit of direction in her life. guinevere is touching film which stays with you even after the last scene has roled off the screen. the film does remind me at time of something woody allen might've directed although not nearly as lighthearted as the vast majority of his work tends to be. i also am vaguely reminded of the classic sandy dennis vehicle sweet november. check this film out and recommend to others. happy viewings !!!
a real treasureMany have either misunderstood or overlooked this gem. If only Hollywood had the brains and/or balls to put out such gems. I loved this movie and could easily watch it many times over. The dialog was intelligent, piercingly truthful. Bravo to the screenwriter! All of the actors: Stephen Rea, Sarah Polly, Jean Smart, Gina Gerson gave compelling, strong performances.
"Guinevere" is the nickname given by Stephen Rea's character (Connie), an alcoholic bohemian type way past his prime, to his significantly younger female companions. See the King Arthur and Guinevere analogy? You see the relationship fraught with the parasitic and symbiotic moments. Jean Smart, who played Guinevere's mom, gave an amazing monolog dissecting the nature of such a relationship.
"Guinevere" is the nickname given by Stephen Rea's character (Connie), an alcoholic bohemian type way past his prime, to his significantly younger female companions. See the King Arthur and Guinevere analogy? You see the relationship fraught with the parasitic and symbiotic moments. Jean Smart, who played Guinevere's mom, gave an amazing monolog dissecting the nature of such a relationship.
For those reviewers who said that this film was unrealistic; I disagree. Anyone who has ever found oneself fascinated by inappropriate, older lovers at some point in one's life will understand this film. Some of my friends and I have been "Guinevere" for our own reasons, and we saw the emotional truth in this film.
Beavis and Butt-head: The Final Judgement
Released in DVD by Sony Wonder (01 July, 1997)
Starring: Mike Judge
Die-hard Beavis and Butt-head fans will probably enjoy this incidental "best of" compilation, which contains seven segments pulled from MTV, aggregated into a 50-minute presentation. But creator Mike Judge's two nerdy, sexually piqued high school delinquents pale in the shadow of that other animated wonder, South Park. In fact, Beavis and Butt-head seem a little passé in light of the success of rival network Comedy Central and its wunderkind, junior high school-based series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of BASEketball fame. Consequently, the segments rely on the same tired jokes again and again ("heh-heh, heh-heh, he said 'come'") and by the time Beavis chows down on too much sugar and his alter-ego, Cornholio, appears in episode six, we're struggling with the woeful repetition and limitations of the boys' routine. The best is saved for first on the disc because the segment entitled "No Laughing" is at least somewhat original in spirit. It may be that we haven't yet been dumbed down by the one-trick pony parade. As for the rest, well, things progress from okay to bad and even Cornholio, searching for "T.P. for my bunghole" can't bring things up to speed. This is definitely a disc for true Beavis and Butt-head believers only. Oddly enough, the DVD contains some color shifts and even occasionally drifts out of focus. --Paula Nechak
Average review score:
[BAD]! No Music Videos Included!I can't remember the last time I've been so disappointed with a purchase. The absolute funniest parts of each B&B episode were their interaction while watching camped out on Butthead's couch watching music videos. There is NONE of that in any of the B&B compilations released so far...this one included. It would've been nice to know this (labelling? Hello!) before I bought it.
awfulDont buy any of these dvd's if you value the funniest parts of the episodes...the music videos. They arent included, but instead pushed out these horrible dvds that only include half or less of what each episode used to be. This is a total rip if you're an old fan of the show.
No If's And's Or Butts....Beavis and Butt-head bring classic moronity to the extreme in this 7 episode collection, which is now out of print and a must-have for any Butt Burglar enthusiast. Mike Judge is the master of stereotypes, and exhibits this skill throughout the BNB days. The "No Laughing" segment is hilarious with the in-your-face teaching style of Mr. Buzzcut, and "Manners Suck" is phenomenal when the always mellow hippy Mr. Van Driessen attacks classroom guest Mr. Manners when Beavis accuses him of abuse. "You touch my students and I'll touch you!" The fun continues when the boys go to prison to be "Scared Straight" and have a blast rocking out Iron Maiden with two thugs they think are cool. And of course the potential for moronity is boundless when Beavis assumes his Cornholio persona and disrupts the school day at Highland High. Buy this now or you have no bunghole!
Paris Concert for Amnesty International
Released in DVD by Image Entertainment (15 June, 1999)
Starring: Va-Paris Concert for Amnesty I
One of rock's nobler dividends has been a legacy of ambitious fund-raising concerts that carry on the social consciousness that first entered the music in the '60s as a byproduct of that decade's urban folk music. Even after much of the music retreated to safer, less partisan themes, the right crusade has been able to mobilize artists to raise funds and awareness, and Amnesty International has proven among the most reliable of these missions: from The Secret Policeman's Ball shows produced in England, to more recent tour packages helmed by '80s superstars such as Peter Gabriel and U2, the human rights organization has inspired bold concerts.
This production, mounted December 10, 1998, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone underscored with between-songs informational segments that succinctly promote the beneficiary's themes of tolerance and social responsibility. Filmed and live cameos mix celebrities with sage comments from the Dalai Lama (whose impish "thumbs up" to the crowd elevates the entire affair) and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. An underlying fervor also sparks much of the music, particularly from Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour, Tracy Chapman, and a solo Bruce Springsteen, whose songs all allude to the human rights agenda. Alanis Morissette's brief set likewise takes on a spiritual glow consistent with both her second solo album and the context at hand, while jubilant sets from Kassav and the Asian Dub Foundation serve as potent multicultural celebrations.
The show isn't without its rough spots: an opening rendition of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" by Chapman, Gabriel, N'Dour, and Springsteen is more awkward than transcendent (especially in Springsteen's wooden delivery), and Gabriel's subsequent duet with N'Dour starts out shakily. Two Led Zeppelin classics from Jimmy Page and Robert Plant incite Zep fans but seem nearly irrelevant here, as does Shania Twain's slick but shallow stint. But Radiohead's three-song set restores the two-hour concert's generally thoughtful and thought-provoking substance. --Sam Sutherland
Average review score:
LESS THAN COMPELLING, BUT FOR THE DALAI LAMAThis concert is basically a Peter Gabriel showcase that unfortunately casts Gabriel and a number of high profile "stars" in a less than flaterring light. It has all the overproduced lustre of an awards show, including noxious blabbering by some official from Amnesty, a few Gabriel influenced animations and a sense that this had the element of social contract obligation to it.
But it has its moments: Tracy Chapman is terrific and delivers the goods, as does Kassiv, a Latin group that is on fire from the start. However, Springsteen is in Tom Joad laconic low gear and while he presents well worn songs in a different light, he just never connects. This seems to be about him asserting his good intentions and rightful conscience. Youssou N'Dour gives it his best, but when Gabriel joins him, it is poorly choreographed, a bit too cliched, and in general deflating to the energy N'Dour seemed to be msutering. His "7 Seconds" at the end of the concert lays an egg, for a lot longer than 7 seconds. Mic problems abound and syncing the lips and the music never quite match up.
Gabriel is a disappointment throughout. Apart from previewing his song from UP, he just never seems to be that into the performance, and having been absent a good while by this time, it is a bit jarring to see how he seems to have let himself slip into beer-belly middle age. He reminds me of a computer consultant wondering where the cheapest pizza is. Kofi Annan makes his appearance, coincidentally not long after having visited Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. I have always found Annan a bit of a joke, and while I am sure he harbours righteous thoughts, his disconnect with reality has always struck me as subverting what he should be standing for.
In fact, the only real dynamic appearance on this tape comes from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and he is absolutely un-self-absorbed, which in comparison to a number of other performances, stands out all the more clearly. He has a simple and direct message that connects with peole who have no real interest in anything other than the music. What I found humourous though is that, although in Paris, he addresses the crowd in English, as does the British woman who seems to fawn all over every celebrity.
All in all, it's entertaining, a bit of an infomercial, but Chapman and His Holiness give it a little something extra that basically redeem the effort.
But it has its moments: Tracy Chapman is terrific and delivers the goods, as does Kassiv, a Latin group that is on fire from the start. However, Springsteen is in Tom Joad laconic low gear and while he presents well worn songs in a different light, he just never connects. This seems to be about him asserting his good intentions and rightful conscience. Youssou N'Dour gives it his best, but when Gabriel joins him, it is poorly choreographed, a bit too cliched, and in general deflating to the energy N'Dour seemed to be msutering. His "7 Seconds" at the end of the concert lays an egg, for a lot longer than 7 seconds. Mic problems abound and syncing the lips and the music never quite match up.
Gabriel is a disappointment throughout. Apart from previewing his song from UP, he just never seems to be that into the performance, and having been absent a good while by this time, it is a bit jarring to see how he seems to have let himself slip into beer-belly middle age. He reminds me of a computer consultant wondering where the cheapest pizza is. Kofi Annan makes his appearance, coincidentally not long after having visited Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. I have always found Annan a bit of a joke, and while I am sure he harbours righteous thoughts, his disconnect with reality has always struck me as subverting what he should be standing for.
In fact, the only real dynamic appearance on this tape comes from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and he is absolutely un-self-absorbed, which in comparison to a number of other performances, stands out all the more clearly. He has a simple and direct message that connects with peole who have no real interest in anything other than the music. What I found humourous though is that, although in Paris, he addresses the crowd in English, as does the British woman who seems to fawn all over every celebrity.
All in all, it's entertaining, a bit of an infomercial, but Chapman and His Holiness give it a little something extra that basically redeem the effort.
Great Bruce, Gabriel/Youssou, Chapman, Radiohead, and ZepThe sound is quite good overall, camera work likewise. Well worth getting if you're a fan of one or more of the main acts.
Bruce plays alone, and does a great bottleneck guitar blues version of "Born."
OK, so Zep isn't a charter member of the PC rock club, but they showed up and really burned. Caveats: "Babe IGLY" was a bit bombastic, and Plant looked and sometimes sounded too old to be doing the Zep material. Given that their "Welcome to Clarksdale" album generally sucks, the first P&P tune, from that album, was damned good, with a blistering yet cerebral solo from Page.
Bruce plays alone, and does a great bottleneck guitar blues version of "Born."
OK, so Zep isn't a charter member of the PC rock club, but they showed up and really burned. Caveats: "Babe IGLY" was a bit bombastic, and Plant looked and sometimes sounded too old to be doing the Zep material. Given that their "Welcome to Clarksdale" album generally sucks, the first P&P tune, from that album, was damned good, with a blistering yet cerebral solo from Page.
Great DVD, Great Concert, Great IdeaThe first reason why you must buy this DVD has nothing to do with it's content or quality, it's just because it's an Amnesty International Concert and this world is in profound need of this kind of institutions, yeah even in America or Europe there're people whose most elementary rights are compromised.
But if that's not enough maybe you should buy it because of it's content and quality. The astonish performance of Radiohead (Karma Police at its best), or the great Pete Gabriel ("In Your Eyes" with Yousou n'dour is very emotive), or Tracy Chapman singing better than ever, or his holiness the Dalai Lama or ..... Buy it, Share It, and Enjoy It.
But if that's not enough maybe you should buy it because of it's content and quality. The astonish performance of Radiohead (Karma Police at its best), or the great Pete Gabriel ("In Your Eyes" with Yousou n'dour is very emotive), or Tracy Chapman singing better than ever, or his holiness the Dalai Lama or ..... Buy it, Share It, and Enjoy It.
The Paris Concert for Amnesty International - DTS
Released in DVD by Image Entertainment (14 August, 2002)
Starring: Peter Gabriel and Tracy Chapman
One of rock's nobler dividends has been a legacy of ambitious fund-raising concerts that carry on the social consciousness that first entered the music in the '60s as a byproduct of that decade's urban folk music. Even after much of the music retreated to safer, less partisan themes, the right crusade has been able to mobilize artists to raise funds and awareness, and Amnesty International has proven among the most reliable of these missions: from The Secret Policeman's Ball shows produced in England, to more recent tour packages helmed by '80s superstars such as Peter Gabriel and U2, the human rights organization has inspired bold concerts.
This production, mounted December 10, 1998, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone underscored with between-songs informational segments that succinctly promote the beneficiary's themes of tolerance and social responsibility. Filmed and live cameos mix celebrities with sage comments from the Dalai Lama (whose impish "thumbs up" to the crowd elevates the entire affair) and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. An underlying fervor also sparks much of the music, particularly from Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour, Tracy Chapman, and a solo Bruce Springsteen, whose songs all allude to the human rights agenda. Alanis Morissette's brief set likewise takes on a spiritual glow consistent with both her second solo album and the context at hand, while jubilant sets from Kassav and the Asian Dub Foundation serve as potent multicultural celebrations.
The show isn't without its rough spots: an opening rendition of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" by Chapman, Gabriel, N'Dour, and Springsteen is more awkward than transcendent (especially in Springsteen's wooden delivery), and Gabriel's subsequent duet with N'Dour starts out shakily. Two Led Zeppelin classics from Jimmy Page and Robert Plant incite Zep fans but seem nearly irrelevant here, as does Shania Twain's slick but shallow stint. But Radiohead's three-song set restores the two-hour concert's generally thoughtful and thought-provoking substance. --Sam Sutherland
Average review score:
LESS THAN COMPELLING, BUT FOR THE DALAI LAMAThis concert is basically a Peter Gabriel showcase that unfortunately casts Gabriel and a number of high profile "stars" in a less than flaterring light. It has all the overproduced lustre of an awards show, including noxious blabbering by some official from Amnesty, a few Gabriel influenced animations and a sense that this had the element of social contract obligation to it.
But it has its moments: Tracy Chapman is terrific and delivers the goods, as does Kassiv, a Latin group that is on fire from the start. However, Springsteen is in Tom Joad laconic low gear and while he presents well worn songs in a different light, he just never connects. This seems to be about him asserting his good intentions and rightful conscience. Youssou N'Dour gives it his best, but when Gabriel joins him, it is poorly choreographed, a bit too cliched, and in general deflating to the energy N'Dour seemed to be msutering. His "7 Seconds" at the end of the concert lays an egg, for a lot longer than 7 seconds. Mic problems abound and syncing the lips and the music never quite match up.
Gabriel is a disappointment throughout. Apart from previewing his song from UP, he just never seems to be that into the performance, and having been absent a good while by this time, it is a bit jarring to see how he seems to have let himself slip into beer-belly middle age. He reminds me of a computer consultant wondering where the cheapest pizza is. Kofi Annan makes his appearance, coincidentally not long after having visited Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. I have always found Annan a bit of a joke, and while I am sure he harbours righteous thoughts, his disconnect with reality has always struck me as subverting what he should be standing for.
In fact, the only real dynamic appearance on this tape comes from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and he is absolutely un-self-absorbed, which in comparison to a number of other performances, stands out all the more clearly. He has a simple and direct message that connects with peole who have no real interest in anything other than the music. What I found humourous though is that, although in Paris, he addresses the crowd in English, as does the British woman who seems to fawn all over every celebrity.
All in all, it's entertaining, a bit of an infomercial, but Chapman and His Holiness give it a little something extra that basically redeem the effort.
But it has its moments: Tracy Chapman is terrific and delivers the goods, as does Kassiv, a Latin group that is on fire from the start. However, Springsteen is in Tom Joad laconic low gear and while he presents well worn songs in a different light, he just never connects. This seems to be about him asserting his good intentions and rightful conscience. Youssou N'Dour gives it his best, but when Gabriel joins him, it is poorly choreographed, a bit too cliched, and in general deflating to the energy N'Dour seemed to be msutering. His "7 Seconds" at the end of the concert lays an egg, for a lot longer than 7 seconds. Mic problems abound and syncing the lips and the music never quite match up.
Gabriel is a disappointment throughout. Apart from previewing his song from UP, he just never seems to be that into the performance, and having been absent a good while by this time, it is a bit jarring to see how he seems to have let himself slip into beer-belly middle age. He reminds me of a computer consultant wondering where the cheapest pizza is. Kofi Annan makes his appearance, coincidentally not long after having visited Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. I have always found Annan a bit of a joke, and while I am sure he harbours righteous thoughts, his disconnect with reality has always struck me as subverting what he should be standing for.
In fact, the only real dynamic appearance on this tape comes from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and he is absolutely un-self-absorbed, which in comparison to a number of other performances, stands out all the more clearly. He has a simple and direct message that connects with peole who have no real interest in anything other than the music. What I found humourous though is that, although in Paris, he addresses the crowd in English, as does the British woman who seems to fawn all over every celebrity.
All in all, it's entertaining, a bit of an infomercial, but Chapman and His Holiness give it a little something extra that basically redeem the effort.
Great Bruce, Gabriel/Youssou, Chapman, Radiohead, and ZepThe sound is quite good overall, camera work likewise. Well worth getting if you're a fan of one or more of the main acts.
Bruce plays alone, and does a great bottleneck guitar blues version of "Born."
OK, so Zep isn't a charter member of the PC rock club, but they showed up and really burned. Caveats: "Babe IGLY" was a bit bombastic, and Plant looked and sometimes sounded too old to be doing the Zep material. Given that their "Welcome to Clarksdale" album generally sucks, the first P&P tune, from that album, was damned good, with a blistering yet cerebral solo from Page.
Bruce plays alone, and does a great bottleneck guitar blues version of "Born."
OK, so Zep isn't a charter member of the PC rock club, but they showed up and really burned. Caveats: "Babe IGLY" was a bit bombastic, and Plant looked and sometimes sounded too old to be doing the Zep material. Given that their "Welcome to Clarksdale" album generally sucks, the first P&P tune, from that album, was damned good, with a blistering yet cerebral solo from Page.
Great DVD, Great Concert, Great IdeaThe first reason why you must buy this DVD has nothing to do with it's content or quality, it's just because it's an Amnesty International Concert and this world is in profound need of this kind of institutions, yeah even in America or Europe there're people whose most elementary rights are compromised.
But if that's not enough maybe you should buy it because of it's content and quality. The astonish performance of Radiohead (Karma Police at its best), or the great Pete Gabriel ("In Your Eyes" with Yousou n'dour is very emotive), or Tracy Chapman singing better than ever, or his holiness the Dalai Lama or ..... Buy it, Share It, and Enjoy It.
But if that's not enough maybe you should buy it because of it's content and quality. The astonish performance of Radiohead (Karma Police at its best), or the great Pete Gabriel ("In Your Eyes" with Yousou n'dour is very emotive), or Tracy Chapman singing better than ever, or his holiness the Dalai Lama or ..... Buy it, Share It, and Enjoy It.
Car Wash
Released in DVD by Goodtimes Home Video (05 May, 1998)
Starring: Richard Pryor and Franklyn Ajaye
Richard Pryor's face is plastered all over the cover of Car Wash, but don't be fooled. This slight comedy, made in 1976, is an ensemble piece much like Robert Altman's or Alan Rudolph's all-star movies in that there are a lot of familiar faces who have relatively little screen time or business to attend to. Set in smoggy Los Angeles, the film opens with a radio announcer's voiceover, "Hey, hey, L.A. It's a brand new day." And the camera pans the street, zooming in on the Dee-Luxe Car Wash, which is owned by the ultimate cheapskate, Mr. B (Sully Boyar). In rapid succession, we're introduced to a dizzying array of characters who all work or hang out at the car wash: drag queen Lindy (Antonio Fargas), brothers Floyd and Lloyd who want to be in show business, a hip brother, an angry brother, a taxi driver (George Carlin), cashier Marsha (Melanie Mayron), and a plethora of "types" who wash, dry, and polish everything in sight while making time to make time. Car Wash doesn't do much or have a lot to say, the laughs aren't particularly original, and the actors don't have much to do save for Fargas, whose role as a drag queen was groundbreaking because the character wasn't discriminated against or killed at the end. Even Richard Pryor is wasted in his single scene as a wealthy preacher named Daddy Rich. Car Wash, which was written by mainstream director Joel Schumacher (Batman and Robin, Falling Down, The Client), is ultimately uneventful. Its revival on DVD is puzzling because it looks about as faded, dated, and undistinguished as a rusty old car. --Paula Nechak
Average review score:
cut scene?OK - I am debating getting this on DVD since I already have the VHS. What I want to know is, does the DVD ending show the secretary getting into the white convertible (a Buick?) with the "extra" guy in the back seat while the good looking guy is hooked up with a blonde in the front? I saw this ending on TV before they starting editing movies for TV and distinctly remember the let down she experienced, seeing her dream guy just using her. If you think about it, it fits in with the movie's undertone of sadness and unrealized dreams.
In case I didn't state it, the current version I have seen on Turner Classic Movies and on my VHS copy do not show this scene, it is cut immediately after the car horn is heard outside at the close of the day.
Thanks!!
GREAT MOVIE. SUPER FLY LIVES - "bbbzzzzzssssssssssssssssss"
Sweet slice of lifeJust saw this movie for the first time and LOVED it. I'm a 40-something woman who goes for opera, art-house films, old Hollywood classics... and this kind of unpretentious movie that presents a cross-section of people living their lives, making peace (or not) with their circumstances of the moment, having fun, getting serious... I must disagree with the reviewer who called the car wash owner a tightwad--he's in the process of losing his shirt, yet trying not to let his employees down. Almost all of the characters in the movie reminded me of people I've known; they were wonderfully rendered as individuals. (Things sure were more innocent then--dig Calvin the Terror!)
Look beneath the surface; it's actually a pretty good filmI first saw this film when it came out in the theatres... I was ten (you do the math...) and it was one of those transgressive '70s comedies that all the kids in 5th and 6th grade were psyched to sneak into the theatres to see, all filled with sex and drugs and cuss words. I rented it recently because I was in the mood for some '70s exploit-o-kitsch, and was quite surprised at how much depth the film actually had. Written by future Hollywood honcho Joel Schumacher, "Car Wash" is a tragedy that masquerades as a farce, capturing the antics of a dozen clownish, stereotypical losers during a single day spent scrubbing cars at a grimy Los Angeles car wash. They lighten their work day through pranks, daydreams, slapstick and even a little bit of sex, drugs and sweet, funky music. (The theme song by Rose Royce remains one of the best disco-era pop tunes.) Behind the comedic facade, though, lies an earnest exploration of the sadness of a truly dead-end job, and by the film's end, its true heroes are revealed as Abdullah (Bill Duke), an angry, humorless African-American Muslim who is the butt of everyone else's jokes, and Lonnie, the underpaid, ex-con foreman of the gang, who are the only ones facing up to the harshness of their economic situation. They're just trying to hang on to their dignity and not slip through the cracks, while all the other guys have pretty much given up, or just don't care. Admittedly, there's an whiff of condescention to the script, and a film-schoolish formalism to its dualistic structure, but there's also a surprisingly sincere, substantive human element. What seems like an "Saturday Night Live-" ish, sketch-based light comedy is actually kind of a painful film at heart. Interestingly enough, the taboo titillations that drew us kiddies to the film back in the day are actually the parts that don't hold up -- George Carlin's episodic gag routines as a foul-mouthed cabbie tracking down a prostitute who skipped out on her fare all fall flat: there's no there there. (Richard Pryor, however, turns in a nice, succinct cameo as a flashy, pimp-suited televangelist who takes his stretch limo through the carwash, and spars with Abdullah about his supposed obligations to the community...) At any rate, the swearing and crass sex gags have largely lost their power to shock (what sounded so nasty back in '76 seems pretty tame now, in comparison to what you can see on TV or even in PG films...) but the film itself is still worth checking out. It captures a certain slice of the 'Seventies, a low-key, unassuming grittiness that didn't rely on the shock tactics of the era's crime films and yet gives us a pretty honest picture of what folks were going through back in a decade of recession, disillusionment and indulgence.
Car Wash
Released in DVD by Universal Studios (06 May, 2003)
Starring: Richard Pryor and Franklyn Ajaye
Richard Pryor's face is plastered all over the cover of Car Wash, but don't be fooled. This slight comedy, made in 1976, is an ensemble piece much like Robert Altman's or Alan Rudolph's all-star movies in that there are a lot of familiar faces who have relatively little screen time or business to attend to. Set in smoggy Los Angeles, the film opens with a radio announcer's voiceover, "Hey, hey, L.A. It's a brand new day." And the camera pans the street, zooming in on the Dee-Luxe Car Wash, which is owned by the ultimate cheapskate, Mr. B (Sully Boyar). In rapid succession, we're introduced to a dizzying array of characters who all work or hang out at the car wash: drag queen Lindy (Antonio Fargas), brothers Floyd and Lloyd who want to be in show business, a hip brother, an angry brother, a taxi driver (George Carlin), cashier Marsha (Melanie Mayron), and a plethora of "types" who wash, dry, and polish everything in sight while making time to make time. Car Wash doesn't do much or have a lot to say, the laughs aren't particularly original, and the actors don't have much to do save for Fargas, whose role as a drag queen was groundbreaking because the character wasn't discriminated against or killed at the end. Even Richard Pryor is wasted in his single scene as a wealthy preacher named Daddy Rich. Car Wash, which was written by mainstream director Joel Schumacher (Batman and Robin, Falling Down, The Client), is ultimately uneventful. Its revival on DVD is puzzling because it looks about as faded, dated, and undistinguished as a rusty old car. --Paula Nechak
Average review score:
cut scene?OK - I am debating getting this on DVD since I already have the VHS. What I want to know is, does the DVD ending show the secretary getting into the white convertible (a Buick?) with the "extra" guy in the back seat while the good looking guy is hooked up with a blonde in the front? I saw this ending on TV before they starting editing movies for TV and distinctly remember the let down she experienced, seeing her dream guy just using her. If you think about it, it fits in with the movie's undertone of sadness and unrealized dreams.
In case I didn't state it, the current version I have seen on Turner Classic Movies and on my VHS copy do not show this scene, it is cut immediately after the car horn is heard outside at the close of the day.
Thanks!!
GREAT MOVIE. SUPER FLY LIVES - "bbbzzzzzssssssssssssssssss"
Sweet slice of lifeJust saw this movie for the first time and LOVED it. I'm a 40-something woman who goes for opera, art-house films, old Hollywood classics... and this kind of unpretentious movie that presents a cross-section of people living their lives, making peace (or not) with their circumstances of the moment, having fun, getting serious... I must disagree with the reviewer who called the car wash owner a tightwad--he's in the process of losing his shirt, yet trying not to let his employees down. Almost all of the characters in the movie reminded me of people I've known; they were wonderfully rendered as individuals. (Things sure were more innocent then--dig Calvin the Terror!)
Look beneath the surface; it's actually a pretty good filmI first saw this film when it came out in the theatres... I was ten (you do the math...) and it was one of those transgressive '70s comedies that all the kids in 5th and 6th grade were psyched to sneak into the theatres to see, all filled with sex and drugs and cuss words. I rented it recently because I was in the mood for some '70s exploit-o-kitsch, and was quite surprised at how much depth the film actually had. Written by future Hollywood honcho Joel Schumacher, "Car Wash" is a tragedy that masquerades as a farce, capturing the antics of a dozen clownish, stereotypical losers during a single day spent scrubbing cars at a grimy Los Angeles car wash. They lighten their work day through pranks, daydreams, slapstick and even a little bit of sex, drugs and sweet, funky music. (The theme song by Rose Royce remains one of the best disco-era pop tunes.) Behind the comedic facade, though, lies an earnest exploration of the sadness of a truly dead-end job, and by the film's end, its true heroes are revealed as Abdullah (Bill Duke), an angry, humorless African-American Muslim who is the butt of everyone else's jokes, and Lonnie, the underpaid, ex-con foreman of the gang, who are the only ones facing up to the harshness of their economic situation. They're just trying to hang on to their dignity and not slip through the cracks, while all the other guys have pretty much given up, or just don't care. Admittedly, there's an whiff of condescention to the script, and a film-schoolish formalism to its dualistic structure, but there's also a surprisingly sincere, substantive human element. What seems like an "Saturday Night Live-" ish, sketch-based light comedy is actually kind of a painful film at heart. Interestingly enough, the taboo titillations that drew us kiddies to the film back in the day are actually the parts that don't hold up -- George Carlin's episodic gag routines as a foul-mouthed cabbie tracking down a prostitute who skipped out on her fare all fall flat: there's no there there. (Richard Pryor, however, turns in a nice, succinct cameo as a flashy, pimp-suited televangelist who takes his stretch limo through the carwash, and spars with Abdullah about his supposed obligations to the community...) At any rate, the swearing and crass sex gags have largely lost their power to shock (what sounded so nasty back in '76 seems pretty tame now, in comparison to what you can see on TV or even in PG films...) but the film itself is still worth checking out. It captures a certain slice of the 'Seventies, a low-key, unassuming grittiness that didn't rely on the shock tactics of the era's crime films and yet gives us a pretty honest picture of what folks were going through back in a decade of recession, disillusionment and indulgence.
In Love and War
Released in DVD by New Line Studios (27 July, 1999)
Starring: Chris O'Donnell and Sandra Bullock
This disastrous 1996 film by Sir Richard Attenborough was meant to be part of his informal series of movies about great men, including Gandhi, Chaplin, Cry Freedom (the Steven Biko story), and Shadowlands (C.S. Lewis). In Love and War is a recounting of young Ernest Hemingway's World War I love affair with Red Cross nurse Agnes von Kurowsky, who was eight years older than he and who became the basis for the Catherine Barkley character in A Farewell to Arms. O'Donnell is terrible, in a word, and Bullock mostly seems out of sorts when playing someone real. Except for the scene in which Hemingway is introduced, fearlessly making his way to a trench under heavy bombardment, you have no idea that this person O'Donnell "portrays" will eventually change the direction of American literature. For a much better experience, look toward Attenborough's previous works. --Tom Keogh
Average review score:
The critics were terribly mistaken!!!This movie lacked truly experienced actors in serious, and romantic roles. Sure Chris and Sandra have starred in romantic movies, but they are unoriginal, and just like the next. Chris O'Donnell was the last person who should have been picked for the role of such a noteworthy and distinguished American author. This movie puts Ernest Hemmingway to shame. Which is a complete disaster. Where was the build-up of true love? This movie bounced from one scene to the next, without ever convincing me Agnes and Ernest were truly in love. This movie did not deserve the accolades it received from the critics. It has the potential to be excellent, if there were different actors in the roles of Agnes and Ernest. It had the potential to be good if it hadn't been so "Hollywood-ized." If you're interested in Ernest Hemmingway's life, read "A Farewell to Arms." It's far better.
dull, Bullock couldn't save itI've become an admirer of Sandra Bullock, so I've been trying to see all the films where she had a major role... Yet I just couldn't watch "In Love and War" all the way through. It just lacks energy. Bullock looked pretty in the nurse's outfit . . . but somehow she looked out of place. I've read the five star reviews rhapsodizing about this movie, and I find myself wondering if I watched the same film. My advice would be to skip buying it and rent it if you absolutely must. But if you want to see Bullock in an overlooked movie in which she shines, I'd recommend "Love Potion #9."
At last, a romantic fim worth watching!I was honestly and completely moved by this film. It was beautifuly directed with fantastic performances by Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnel. Their chemistry is so good that one effortlessly feels the increasing sexual tension in merely seeing Chris O'Donnel lovingly place his hands on Sandra Bullock's shoulders-demonstrating that when it comes to true screen romance; less is more. This is not to say that 'In Love and War' is devoid of passion; it depicts a love affair at it's most passionate and magical whilst still maintaining an beauty and mystery. In short, bravo Ms Bullock and Mr O'Donnel! Their sensitive and touching portrayal of two complex characters was a joy to watch, and quite frankly I find it almost unbelievable that one could describe this film as anything other than a beautiful love story; one that is as tragic as it is passionate. Not since seeing Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward in 'The Thorn Birds'have I been so thoroughly engrossed in a love story. This is a must see for anyone who has lost faith in the Film Industry's ability to produce great romantic films. You'll laugh,you'll cry, you'll smile and sigh...and then watch it all over again!!
Live Wire
Released in DVD by Warner Home Video (06 May, 2003)
Average review score:
Brosnon is electrifying as a loose cannon with brains.This movie is very underated, I happen to think it is better than every James Bond movie Bronson has made except for Golden Eye. Bronson's character in this movie has more depth than Bond's character which allowes Bronson to show of his acting talents and a wider range of emotions. In this movie he plays a capable, resoursful, tough, independent, bomb specialist. However, he is also a haunted drunk with a temper. Bronson's child drowned in a pool at their home while he was supposed to be watching her. The guilt has turned him into a hollow shell of the man he was. His wife has seperated from him and is now dating a senator who she works for. The senator, played by Ron Silver, is a great character. Silver does a supreb job of being sleazy and arrogant in this movie. The plot of this movie is unrealistic but intriguing nonetheless. Somehow a middle eastern terrorist/arms dealer has succeded in developing an explosive that exists in liquid form. For instance it looks like water but if you drink it you explode. The scenes where people explode are CRAZY!!! People get it really bad in this movie. The villian in this film is great, I have never heard of Ben Cross before and have never seen him in anything since this film and I do not know why since he plays such a great villian. His screen presence is astounding, he has even more presence than Brosnon. I lot of people gave this movie bad reviews but from reading what they wrote it seems to me that they had trouble following the plot. A lot happens in this movie very quickly and the plot involves a United States governent sponsored arms deal gone bad. In truth the movie could have spent more time detailing exactly what went wrong between the senators and the arms dealer (Ben Cross). Ben Cross's assistant is the guy who played the father on Ressecurtion Boulvd. (the Showtime orginal series about boxing) and he is good as a terrorist. I liked the fact that Bronson is pretty much the only good guy in the film, the senators are bad, and so is the arms dealer. Lots of intense action scenes, horrible death, etc. Good direction, script, acting, etc. The evil people in this movie get what is coming to them in the end, the senator especially.
Live Wire is HOT!Pierce Brosnan plays a very human bomb squad expert who is on the track of an explosive substance thats undetectable. His charector is also dealing with a marital seperation. Some of the scenes in this movie are some of the sexiest on film!
One hot movieAnybody who is a fan of Pierce Brosnan should definitely get a copy of the Unrated Version of Live Wire. It's worth the price of the movie just for the hot love scenes(and I mean hot!) between Pierce and Lisa Eilbacher.. .
If You Only Knew
Released in DVD by York Home Video (24 October, 2000)
After accidentally setting fire to his apartment--and revealing that he'd kept a cat in a no-pets building--Parker (Johnathon Schaech from That Thing You Do! and The Doom Generation) needs to find a new place to live. Temporarily he camps out at the apartment of his best friend, Jack (James LeGros, Living in Oblivion, Drugstore Cowboy), but Jack's incessant one-night stands start to drive him nuts. Finally he gets introduced to Sam (Alison Eastwood, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), who invites him to move into her place--but only because she thinks he's gay. Pretending to be gay not only leads Parker to discover things about his coworkers and friends, but also about himself. He finds himself more comfortable with women as a gay man than he'd ever been before. But as he grows more and more smitten with Sam, his masquerade becomes more and more troublesome. If You Only Knew wants to address honesty and self-identity in a light, farcical way; unfortunately, the writing is stale and unoriginal. But though the movie's humor falls pretty flat, there are some surprisingly sweet moments that make it almost worthwhile. Also featuring the lovely Gabrielle Anwar as a friend of Sam's who is drawn to Parker even though she thinks he's gay. --Bret Fetzer
Average review score:
bad script, bad acting, a waste of timeI've tried to watch this so-called comedy - but it's very hard to bear. This is a bad, narrow-minded, cliché-ridden movie. Not funny, but rather boring and annoying indeed. Bad script, bad acting, this movie looks like an accident. It's a complete waste of time - and there remains nothing more to say, I'm afraid.
bad script, bad acting, not funnyI've tried to watch this so-called comedy - but it's very hard to bear. This is a bad, narrow-minded, cliché-ridden movie. Not funny, but rather boring and annoying indeed. Bad script, bad acting, this movie looks like an accident. It's a complete waste of time - and there remains nothing more to say, I'm afraid.
Great Storythis happens to be one of my favorite movies! ive seen it many times, and everytime i love it even more. Great story, and for most parts i think that this has in one way happned to all of us. you try to be someone your not to get something that you could have easily had if you were yourself! but each person has their own opinions and i LOVE this movie, and recomend any and everyone to watch it.
Anyway I knew this movie would be slightly different from what Lawrence has done in the past. This time it would be a blending of comedy and thriller, something more personal, maybe because he wrote the screenplay and directed the movie. So I watched it trying to stay away from any prejudices and to enjoy it for what it is. I found the movie very uneven. The real plot took way too long to come up. Indeed, the first part trying to settle Lawrence's character and personality is way too long compared to the time left to the plot development and realization, which obviously leads to shortcuts and great haste when it comes to the real story. The goal of the movie, the real aim is therefore not reached entirely, for the comedy part of the movie maybe stole a lead over the drama or thriller part. It was indisputably interesting to try catching another 'usually hidden' side of Martin Lawrence, as a director, a writer trying to deal with something different from what he usually does, but this time it was not that big of a success. Let's not be too harsh there for it may be new to him, and I'm sure we'll see more from him in that field very soon, but I would not rank this movie as a must-see one. I watched it cause I really wanted to discover something new about Lawrence, and in a way I saw some good first steps, but somehow the intention outmatched the means and the way Lawrence handled the making and construction of his work.
But as you can see, this is not a 'Don't go watch this movie' kind of message, it is just a personal view of it. You should try this movie anyway, cause you'll see or at least guess what Martin Lawrence could do with a little more experience and writing discipline.