People Movie Reviews

What my 3 and 1 year olds like about it are the songs, the neat characters like Huckle the cat and Henrietta Hippo, and the silly situations that Richard Scarry is renown for. In one part, the baker (Able Baker Charlie) mixes in too much yeast into his dough and the situation quickly escalates into total mayhem in the bakery.

All in all, if I were to sum this video up I would say that it is downright fun as well as educational.

Their two hundred miles odyssey is told in the words of the leader of the Babahdi tribe. His words are voiced over by actor James Mason. His story is as compelling, as it is amazing. It is difficult to believe that a people would so endure a journey of such hardship year after year.

There is no road through the mountain, only trails or passages worn over time. It is, indeed, rough and rugged terrain over which to cross. The people climb, unroped, these 15,000 foot peaks, herding along their livestock, in clothing and footwear that does not inure them to the ravages of frostbite and illness. You see young children herding animals on precipices that would give most people pause.

It is a primitive, yet communal way of life. The film provides the viewer with a fascinating glimpse into a lifestyle which would be foreign to most. It is compelling, documentary film- making at its best. It is a film that would appeal to all those interested in other cultures, as well as in the human condition.

As you may recall, TTSS and SP were the first and last books, respectively, of the Karla series. (The second, THE HONORABLE SCHOOLBOY, was never adapted to the small screen. The plot was considered too complex.) In TTSS, Smiley, formerly right-hand man to the Director of the British Secret Intelligence Service (the "Circus" or MI-6), is brought out of retirement to dig out a highly placed Soviet mole embedded in the Circus. In SP, it's several years later, and Smiley is brought out of retirement a second time by the politicians to "tidy up" after a Russian emigre, a former general, is brutally murdered on Hampstead Heath. Because the old soldier was an occasional source of information for the Service, the "Minister" wants George to make sure there's no embarrassment to the government in the affair. Smiley soon discovers that the killing has a link to Karla, his old nemesis in the KGB's Moscow Center. Karla has been a thorn in the side of MI-6 for years, and was the one who controlled the mole that was Smiley's quarry in TTSS. In SP, George finally brings Karla down.

Several of the characters appearing in TTSS appear also in SMILEY'S PEOPLE, providing a nice touch of continuity: Smiley, Oliver Lacon (the Minister's lackey), Anne (Smiley's wife), Connie (MI-6's Head of Research, retired), Toby Esterhasy (one of the high Circus executives under suspicion in TTSS), Karla, and Peter Guillam (Smiley's right hand in TTSS). And, except for the Guillam character, where Michael Byrne takes over the role from Michael Jayston, all actors from TTSS return in SP.

Some will think that the miniseries version of SP and the original book are boring: no special FX, no shoot-outs, no wild chases, and no babes. If that's what you want, then le Carre's stories are not for you. It's all about plot and character development, and the slow, methodical process of putting together the intricate espionage puzzle at hand. If the viewer hasn't read the original book, then he/she is advised to take notes as the storyline unfolds.

Had SMILEY'S PEOPLE been made for the Big Screen, then Guinness should surely have won an Oscar. George is the essence of inscrutable as he peers at his world through owlish, heavy-rimmed spectacles. Despite his name, he smiles only once - perhaps twice - during the entire six hour run time. Mild irritation is his only occasional manifestation of anger. Outside of his work, as Ann puts it rhetorically in TTSS, "Life's a great puzzle to you, isn't it George?" One senses a great deal of hurt in Smiley, much of it heaped on him by the same Ann, a serial adulteress. When someone says to Smiley, "My love to Anne", he may mean it, literally. Even Karla's mole in the Circus shared Ann's bed. But in his element, George has no equal in puzzle-solving, and Karla's days are numbered.

My other favorite performance in SMILEY'S PEOPLE is that of Bernard Hepton as Toby Esterhasy. As he stage manages in episode six the sting that will result in Karla's downfall, his enthusiasm is positively infectious. It brought a grin to my face, if not Smiley's.

The DVD also has an interview with le Carre. At one point, he describes the evolution of Smiley, his greatest fictional character. Interestingly, the author said he'd wanted to develop his hero's persona in future books -perhaps to show George's darker side - but was prevented from doing so by the public's merger of Alec Guinness and Smiley via the TTSS and SP screen productions. After all, Guinness is a British icon, and no liberties could be taken. Ironically, this resulted in Smiley's early demise and subsequent absence from later novels.

I cannot recommend SMILEY'S PEOPLE, or TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, too highly. Obtain them both, and settle down for twelve hours of magnificent Cold War drama.

They had to include a bonus EP as well. I'm probably one of the first people to finally admit that this is not a Primus cd. Sure, it bears the Primus name and uses members of the band, but it's still not Primus. I think Les, Ler, and Tim all lost their capabilty of thinking on the Primus spectrum, this Ep is the evidence. Try and compare this cd to any previous Primus release. It doesn't compare, not even to their previous Antipop album. Sure you get a lot of cool sounds, but none of those catchy riffs Primus has been so good at. This cd is filled with the same stuff Les has been dishing out for the past 3 years or so with his Frog Brigade project. I understand that bands sometimes change musically and take different approaches to their music, I mean, compare Frizzle Fry to The Brown album, that's proof enough, but I have a word that can explain Primus' new direction for all of you, lost. Les has been so caught up in all of his other projects that he is now no longer capable of producing an actual Primus release. Now, as a fan of both Primus, and Les' solo projects as well, I'm not saying that the music contained on this cd is, by any means, bad. I am a fan of Les' other projects, especially Oysterhead, but I don't think that this cd is worthy of bearing the Primus name. Hopefully, one day, they'll be able to get it together.

CD:4 2/5, stars

Actually, the dvd is the big feature here, and the cd is actually just an added ep. But it is pretty cool just the same. Overall I would say that it reaches toward the darker side of primus(Bob, southbound pachyderm,ect;), except for "Pilcher's Squad, which is a trademark primus goof(goof describes the sound, not the quality of the song). Here it is track-by-track.

The Carpenter, and the dainty bride:5/5; If you have ever heard pork soda, and the bass trick Les uses on "The ol' diamondack sturgeon," which sounds sort of like a sitar. Well, it is used a lot on this song(and on "Mary the Icecube"). The lyrics are a lot like "My name is mud," as far as plot goes(I ran in to this person, he had some pesonal probloms effecting my life, so I killed him). It makes a great opener.

PILCHER'S SQUAD: See above; it is about 2 minutes long(which is good since tracks 1,4,and 5 are all over 6 minuts in length), and is very goofy sounding, but is a good piece of ear candy nonetheless. 5/5 stars

Mary the Icecube: A sad sounding song about a man, who is all depresed after dropping his beloved icecube, which then caused it to smash into pieces. 4/5 stars

The last superpower A.K.A. rapscallion: For me this was the harset to get into. It is actually a lot like "Nature boy(Pork soda)." It starts with a catchy number, which is very enjoyable,and is pretty funky for primus, and then drops off into a three-minute exiremental run before a catchy ending. 5/5 stars

My friend fats: This one is my least favorite song off the cd. It is prettymuch a cheesy-metal-horror-ballad, about a guy who is about to meet his chemical obliviation. 3/5

DVD: 5 stars

I really love this dvd. It contains the videos for "JOHN THE FISHERMAN,""TOO MANY PUPPIES,""JERRY WAS A RACECAR DRIVER,""TOMMY THE CAT,""MY NAME IS MUD,""MR. KRINKLE,""DMV,""WYNONNA'S BIG BROWN BEVER,""SOUTHBOUND PACHYDERM,""SHAKE HANDS WITH BEEF,""OVER THE FALLS,""LAQUERHEAD,"and"THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GORGIA," and if they had left it at that, then it would still be more than the price would suggest. But no. You can also get the live performances of"THOSE D@MN-BLUE COLLARED TWEEKERS,""KALAMAZOO,""LAQUERHEAD,""GROUNDHOG'S DAY,""MR. KRINKLE," and there are a ton of bootlegs too(including those with Les, Tod Huth, and Tim Wright). Not to mention all of the other "tidbits, and tadbits," like the "cheesy home video,"and various makings of. All-in-all, this is an excelent package.

PS: the low price rounds it up to an even 5-stars.

Aside from that scary, horrible thing, be grateful that we're getting all their videos and tons of bonus stuff here. There's bootlegs of many songs, concert performances (including Woodstock 1994), photos, a discography, and three (as far as I know) easter eggs. Go to The Attic on the menu. Once you've selected it, press 1, 5, and/or 9 on your remote (or 01, 05, 09 if it doesn't work). You'll see the band on stage, as Les announces that he's the only member left, as the other 2 are moving on. It's actually pretty sad. Les hesitates a bit when announcing it. The other is a clip of BucketHead- the best guitarist to ever live. It's from the webcast sometime in 1998.

The CD thrown in with this is ok. It's not as bad as Antipop, but it's close. Like a reviewer here said before- Les can't really do Primus-type tracks anymore. He's been too involved with Oysterhead, Flying Frog Brigade, and Bucket of Brains. Oh well, I'm glad we finally get something like this. Now it's time to wait for the BucketHead DVD coming this December (hopefully).

Because it has been released on DVD, I will one day be able to show this film to my children, and theirs after them. I recommend this timeless classic to anyone, any age, any time, any place.

The narrative is remarkably credible and smooth. The writing is superb, there is not one moment in this film that feels false or "acted." The dialogue is extremely well written, but Redford, like Clint Eastwood or Kunrick, was not afraid to exploit moments of silence as well.

I cannot believe that Donald Sutherland wasn't even nominated for a supporting cast role, he leaves a taste of his presence long after the credits have rolled. Mary Tyler Moore was very successful in potraying the odious mother who cannot even feel her own despair after her favorite son's death in a boat accident. But hats off to the pivot of the movie, the younger brother who survived the accident, played flawlessly by Tim Hutton! I guess a performance that is also quite easily overlooked is that of Judd Hirsch, in a seemingly background but very important role of the younger son's psychiatrist.

Somewhat atypical of Hollywood, there are no happy endings and chiming bells to "Ordinary People." This is a deep, dark movie that journeys into the worst, most difficult situation a family must ever face, and comes out with a very natural resolution (of sorts.)

A must-watch treat!