Meida Mikes has teamed with their friends at Universal Home Video to give one lucky reader an opportunity to win a Blu-ray copy of the surprise holiday horror hit “Violent Night.”
All you have to do is let us know in the comments your favorite Horror-themed Holiday film. As easy as that. One random comment will be chosen and that person will receive a Blu-ray copy of “Violent Night.” Winner will be notified by email. This contest ends at midnight on March 3, 2023. Good luck!
Otto (Hanks) is a man set in his ways. Every day he arises and make his rounds through his small neighborhood, doing his best to keep his neighbors united in not selling to a large property management firm. When he’s not picking up trash or yelling at people to slow down as they drive past, Otto mourns for his late wife, the only person he feels understood him. When a new family moves in across the street, Otto learns that maybe his way isn’t always the right way.
Based on “A Man Called Ove,” a 2015 Swedish film, “A Man Called Otto” is well intntioned but a little too heavy handed at times. Hanks plays Otto as if he is the mellower brother of Clint Eastwood’s Walt from “Grand Torino.” His way is the way it should be and all others be damned. The new family across the street, headed by Mom Marisol (Trevino) begin to wear Otto down until he’s actually giving driving lessons and trying to make amends with friends he has wronged. Otto is keepoing a secret from everyone, one that we slowly begin to learn. He’s not a bad man. He’s just lonely and wishes to be in what he thinks is a better place.
As the seasons go by, from the warmth of spring to the fresh snow of winter, the characters become more familiar to the audience and each other. Otto may not be a saint, but he is a good man at heart, and heart is what this film is all about.
For years I lived under the illusion that Tom Brady was a cheater. Then he went to my Tampa Bay Buccaneers and brought them a Super Bowl victory so now I see he was just misunderstood. Brady has since retired (again) but his legend lives on in “80 for Brady.”
Every Sunday a group of friends gathers in the home of Lou (Tomlin) to get their game on. Football that is. It’s been a tradition for these women for years, and started when Lou was battling cancer. The other women also have some issues. Trish (Fonda) cannot accept the fact that she is getting old, Maura (Moreno) is recently widowed and Betty (Field) is tired of doing everything for others and nothing for herself. When the Patriots once again advance to the Super Bowl in 2017, Lou gets them all tickets to the game so that they can celebrate in person.
A an almost too-sweet story held together by a group of actres with (5) Oscars and (12) nominations between them, “80 for Brady” is, in reality, a story about following your drams and never giving up. Football fans may recall that Super Bowl LI featured a game where, at one time, the Patriots were down 28-3 only to score (31) unanswered points to emerge victorious.
Along the way the ladies learn more about themselves then they expected, as they conspire to get as close to the action as posible. Brady, also a producer, shows up a few times on screen and has a natural screen presence, also featured in “Ted 2.” Nice to see he has a sense of humor.
For football fans, the film is a must see thanks to the incredible game footage shown on screen. Angles and highlights not seen on television are amazing to follow when they’re 40 feet high. Besides, now that the NFL season is over, “80 for Brady” is a way to get in a little more football before baseball season rolls along.
Normally when a film is advertised as “based/inspired by a true story,” you think to yourself, cool. However, when I first heard this comment used about “Cocaine Bear” I had to chuckle. Really? A beat that goes on a cocaine bender? Yeah, right. Then I spoke with a friend of mine who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. She knew all about the story BECAUSE IT’S TRUE!
It’s sometime in the 1980s. America is in the middle of a huge drug epidemic. “Just say no,” is the message related by everyone from Nancy Reagan to Pee Wee Herman. Sadly there are no television in the woods.
A plane flies overhead in the darkness. Aboard is a man packaging up bundles of cocaine to drop into the woods below for his associates to recover and put on the street. An onboard mishap causes the plane to crash, with the wreckage (and durgs) strewn all over. Anyone could come along and find the illicit cargo. Hikers. Kids. A bear.
A film that mixes dark humor and horror perfectily is indeed a rarity, but “Cocaine Bear” pulls this mixture off almost seamlessly. Director Banks and screenwriter Jimmy Warden have woven together a film that is both funny and terrifying.
The cast is full of colollrful characters, ranging from Russell’s frantic mom searching for her daughter to Jackson’s almost too responsible drug runner to Margo Maartindale as a park ranger with romance on her mind. Throw in recent Tony award winner Jesse Tyler Ferguson as a local wildlife expert and the late Ray Liotta in one of his final performances and you have a group of actors who, instead of going for camp, play the situations straight. And don’t forget the bear, who shows an amazing range of emotions. Add a soundtrack consisting of some of the era’s greatest hits and you have the formula for an entertaining night at the movies.
Everything Everywhere All at Once, a quirky sci-fi comedy, received (11) total nomination this morning when the films and performances vying for the 95th Annual Academy Awards were announced.
The film received nominations in several major categories, including Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor and Original Screenplay. It was followed by the German World War I drama All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin, which each received (9) nominations. Al three films are in competition for the coveted Best Picture award, along with a selection of both popular hits and critically received films Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, The Fabelmans, Tar, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness and Women Talking.
Angela Bassett became the first actor nominated for a performance in a Marvel film when she received a Best Supporting Actress nod for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This nomination marked a 29-year gap since her first Academy Award nomination – Best Actress in 1994 for What’s Love Got to Do With It? Not to be outdone, Judd Hirsch, nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Fabelmans, closes a 42-year gap, having been nominated in the same category in 1981 for Ordinary People.
The awards will also feature a couple of feelgood comeback stories. Brendan Fraser, inexplicably absent from mainstream Hollywood for over a decade, scored a well-earned Best Actor nomination for his work in The Whale. Ke Huy Kwan, long considered by me as the titular “doom” in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Jamie Lee Curtis, a Best Supporting Actress nominee for Everything Everywhere All at Once, becomes the second daughter of Oscar-nominated parents (Tony Curtis/Janet Leigh) to receive a nomination, following Oscar winner Laura Dern (Bruce Dern/Diane Ladd).
The maestro, John Williams, a five time Oscar winner, received his 53rd nomination for his original music score for The Fabelmans.
Here is a complete list of this year’s nominees:
Best Picture
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Malte Grunert, Producer
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers
“Elvis,” Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, Producers
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wang, Producers
“The Fabelmans,” Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Producers
“Tár,” Todd Field, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert, Producers
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison and Jerry Bruckheimer, Producers
“Triangle of Sadness,” Erik Hemmendorff and Philippe Bober, Producers
“Women Talking,” Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Frances McDormand, Producers
Best Director
Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”)
Todd Field (“Tár”)
Ruben Östlund (“Triangle of Sadness”)
Best Lead Actor
Austin Butler (“Elvis”)
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)
Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”)
Bill Nighy (“Living”)
Best Lead Actress
Cate Blanchett (“Tár”)
Ana de Armas (“Blonde”)
Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”)
Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”)
Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”)
Judd Hirsch (“The Fabelmans”)
Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Best Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)
Hong Chau (“The Whale”)
Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Best Adapted Screenplay
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Screenplay by Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Written by Rian Johnson
“Living,” Written by Kazuo Ishiguro
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks
“Women Talking,” Screenplay by Sarah Polley
Best Original Screenplay
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Written by Martin McDonagh
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
“The Fabelmans,” Written by Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner
“Tár,” Written by Todd Field
“Triangle of Sadness,” Written by Ruben Östlund
Best Cinematography
“All Quiet on the Western Front”, James Friend
“Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” Darius Khondji
“Elvis,” Mandy Walker
“Empire of Light,” Roger Deakins
“Tár,” Florian Hoffmeister
Best Documentary Feature Film
“All That Breathes,” Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer
“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin and Yoni Golijov
“Fire of Love,” Sara Dosa, Shane Boris and Ina Fichman
“A House Made of Splinters,” Simon Lereng Wilmont and Monica Hellström
“Navalny,” Daniel Roher, Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris
Best Documentary Short Film
“The Elephant Whisperers,” Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga
“Haulout,” Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev
“How Do You Measure a Year?” Jay Rosenblatt
“The Martha Mitchell Effect,” Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison
“Stranger at the Gate,” Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones
Best Film Editing
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
“Elvis,” Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Paul Rogers
“Tár,” Monika Willi
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Eddie Hamilton
Best International Feature Film
“All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
“Close” (Belgium)
“EO” (Poland)
“The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
Best Original Song
“Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman,” Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga and BloodPop
“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; Lyric by Tems and Ryan Coogler
“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR,” Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyric by Chandrabose
“This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski; Lyric by Ryan Lott and David Byrne
Best Production Design
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Production Design: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set Decoration: Ernestine Hipper
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Production Design: Dylan Cole and Ben Procter; Set Decoration: Vanessa Cole
“Babylon,” Production Design: Florencia Martin; Set Decoration: Anthony Carlino
“Elvis,” Production Design: Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy; Set Decoration: Bev Dunn
“The Fabelmans,” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
Best Visual Effects
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
“The Batman,” Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White and Dan Sudick
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R. Fisher
Best Animated Feature Film
“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” Dean Fleischer Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Andrew Goldman, Caroline Kaplan and Paul Mezey
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” Joel Crawford and Mark Swift
“The Sea Beast,” Chris Williams and Jed Schlanger
“Turning Red,” Domee Shi and Lindsey Collins
Best Animated Short Film
“The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse,” Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud
“The Flying Sailor,” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
“Ice Merchants,” João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano
“My Year of Dicks,” Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon
“An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It,” Lachlan Pendragon
Best Costume Design
“Babylon,” Mary Zophres
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Ruth Carter
“Elvis,” Catherine Martin
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Shirley Kurata
“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” Jenny Beavan
Best Live Action Short
“An Irish Goodbye,” Tom Berkeley and Ross White
“Ivalu,” Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan
“Le Pupille,” Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón
“Night Ride,” Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen
“The Red Suitcase,” Cyrus Neshvad
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová
“The Batman,” Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Camille Friend and Joel Harlow
“Elvis,” Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti
“The Whale,” Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley
Best Original Score
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Volker Bertelmann
“Babylon,” Justin Hurwitz
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” Carter Burwell
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Son Lux
“The Fabelmans,” John Williams
Best Sound
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte
“Avatar: The Way of Water,” Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges
“The Batman,” Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson
“Elvis,” David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller
“Top Gun: Maverick,” Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
THE 95TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS WILL BE PRESENTED ON SUNDAY, MARCH 12TH ON ABC TELEVISION
And the Oscar goes to….. Brendan Fraser. That is all.
OK, I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself here.
An online class is in progress. The main screen is filled with the faces of all of the students. The only black frame belongs to the instructor, who informs the others that the camera on his laptop is broken. But it isn’t. He’s just afraid of being seen.
Driven by Brendan Fraser, who gives a performance that is both brilliant and emotional, “The Whale” tells the story of a man whose life has spiraled downward as his waistline has increased. Charlie (Fraser) was once a happy man with a wife and daughter. A college professor, he was able to share his love of literature and of writing. But Charlie had a secret and that secret destroyed not only his life, but the lives of those that loved him. Now it is only through food that Charlie can achieve any semblance of happiness, finding consolation in a bucket of chicken or a couple of giant meatball and cheese subs. He is looked after by his friend, Liz (Chau), who drops by often offering dinner and some companionship. Liz knows that Charlie is slowly killing himself, but he refuses to seek medical help. Only after receiving a couple of unexpected visitors does Charlie begin to think of happiness. But not for himself.
I’m a big guy. I can always afford to lose a few pounds. And I can admit here that I have had people refer to me as fat. But I’m Audrey Hepburn compared to Charlie. Usually, a large person is played for laughs on screen. Think Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor,” Martin Lawrence in “Big Momma’s House” or the final scene in “Dodgeball” where a very hefty Ben Stiller makes a self-depreciating joke and remarks to the audience, “Are you happy? Fatty made a funny.” But with “The Whale” you have no desire to laugh at Charlie. You sympathize with him. When he struggles to take a few steps, you feel his exhaustion. And when he strains to pick something up off the floor, you can feel your fingers reaching out as well. But Charlie doesn’t want your sympathy. He just wants to be.
I have always been a fan of Brendan Fraser. From “School Ties” to the “Mummy” series to the underappreciated baseball comedy “The Scout,” he has always appeared genuine on screen. His performance here is no different. You feel sad for Charlie. Not because he’s heavy but because he’s a human being. It doesn’t matter if Charlie weighs 400 pounds or a buck twenty-five, the hurt he feels is evident in his eyes. And the ability to express such emotion with only a glance is the hallmark of a great actor.
Fraser is supported ably by his co-stars, including Ms. Chau, Sadie Sink as Charlie’s estranged daughter and Ty Simpkins as a man literally on a mission who knocks on Charlie’s door. There is not a false performance in this film.
As a filmmaker, director Darren Aronofsky can be very hit or miss. On one side of the spectrum, he created a masterpiece with “Requiem for a Dream.” On the other hand, I give you “The Fountain.” “The Whale” is another fine achievement and one that should be seen and appreciated.
With Christmas approaching, the one thing on everyone’s mind is…..Halloween?
Media Mikes has teamed up with their friends at Universal Home Entertainment to give one reader the opportunity to find a 4D UHD copy of “Halloween Ends” in their stocking.
All you have to do is let us know in the comments below do you think the “Halloween:” film series is over? And if not, what do want to see next?
A random comment will be chosen and that person will win the prize.
This is contest ends at 11:59 pm on December 24, 2022. Winner will be notified by email.
Merry Christmas!
HALLOWEEN ENDS will be releasing on 4K, Blu-ray and Digital on December 27th.
WELCOME TO HOLLYWOOD!
Hundreds of newcomers receive this greeting daily. For some new arrivals, it’s the beginning of fulfilling a dream. For Vivian Ward (Jessie Davidson), it’s a daily reminder of the life she now leads. A daily reminder that she has yet to find her prince. Yet?
There have been so many musicals in the pipeline recently – coming soon, shows based on “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “The Nutty Professor” – and some are, to be polite, not very good. So please take this as a great compliment when I say that “PWTM” is much better than I expected. Based on the 1990 film that unleashed Julia Roberts on an unsuspecting world, “PWTM” is a very funny, and well produced, show that is carried squarely on the shoulders of the writers and the performers.
For those of you who may not be aware of the story, it’s the tale of Vivian, a working girl trying to drum enough business to help pay the rent. A chance meeting with Edward Lewis (Adam Pascal) leads her to an arrangement she cannot turn down. However, as things progress, unemotional business begins to take a backseat to actual feelings, as two lonely people connect.
Adam Pascal has one of the most powerful and recognizable voices in musical theater history (again, for those of you who don’t follow theater, he was Roger in the original production of RENT, as well as in the film). Pascal gives Edward a sense of decency that helps make the character likeable. Ms. Davidson also works some magic in making Vivian a true heroine of the story. It’s hard to create a fairy tale out of cutthroat businessmen and prostitutes, but together Pascal and Davidson pull it off. They are assisted greatly by a strong ensemble cast, including Jessica Crouch as Vivian’s roommate, Kit; Kyle Taylor Parker, as the overzealous greeter, proved an audience favorite. And I want to give a special shout out to Trent Soyster as the limber and mischievous bellboy Giulio.
A fun night at the theater, PWTM is playing in Kansas City through December 11th. For information on this stop of the tour, or upcoming shows, please click HERE.
A young boy goes to the movies. What he see’s has such an impression on him that he makes film a major part of his life. That young boy could never have known that 2 hours in the dark would change his life forever. I should point out here that the young boy in question is me and the movie in question was “Jaws.”
New Jersey. 1952. Young Sammy Fableman (LaBelle) is taken to the movies to see “The Greatest Show on Earth” by his parents, Mitzi (Williams, in an Oscar-worthy performance) and Burt (Paul Dano). Burt is a scientific engineer, so instead of explaining movies in terms of enjoyment he spouts off about how the film runs 24 frames per second, giving still images the illusion of movement. Despite his father’s description, Sam is mesmerized by the film, especially the famous train crash (oops, SPOILER ALERT!). He plays the scene over and over in his head when he gets home. When he receives a train set for Hanukkah you can see the wheels turning in his head. Especially when he picks up his fathers 8mm movie camera.
An obviously very personal film for Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans” could easily be compared to Bob Fosse’s “All That Jazz” – without the naked women, of course. It is rare for any filmmaker to give such an inside look at his life, and while this isn’t a true bio-pic, there are many similarities between Sam and Steven. His mother was a very talented pianist and his father instrumental in the development of the computer. Williams even wears her hair in the same style as Leah Spielberg. But there are enough little changes in the story to make the audience wonder “did that really happen?”
The film is buoyed by an amazing cast, all at the top of their game. Williams is stellar as a woman who has put her own creativity on hold to encourage her husband. Dano excels as a man who truly loves his wife but can’t see the proverbial forest through the trees. He constantly refers to Sam’s passion as a “hobby” and it’s obvious he doesn’t understand. Supporting work by Seth Rogen and Judd Hirsch helps flesh out the story. And special praise indeed for young Mr. LaBelle, who just turned 20 this past weekend. It would be nerve wracking enough to have your second major film directed by Steven Spielberg but to ALSO be playing the director…Yikes! LaBelle approaches the role with the same wonder that Spielberg must have had as a young man. It’s a beautiful performance.
With all Spielberg films, the production values are first rate. And it’s so nice to once again see a Spielberg film accompanied by a beautiful musical score by the great John Williams. Spielberg and Williams. Takes me back to “Jaws.”
Like Spielberg, I made short films throughout high school but that’s pretty much all we have in common. Though I did notice that he’s #22 on the Internet Movie Data Base STAR METER while I’m listed as #965,422. Close.
I must admit before I continue that I do not consider myself a “foodie.” If you know me you know I enjoy eating but I’ve never understood the high price restaurants that serve tiny portions on tiny plates made up of things I’ve never heard of. One example in my lifetime: I went to Washington D.C. to conduct an interview for my book on “Jaws 2,” offering to take the couple I was speaking with to dinner near my hotel. While I was thinking something casual, like Houlihan’s or a similar establishment they gave me the name of a little place a block away from where I was staying. The company, and the conversation, was amazing. The food was…meh. $260 later, after we said our goodbyes, I stopped at Subway on my way back to my hotel.
Tyler (Hoult) is excitedly pacing back on forth on a dock. He explains to Margot (Taylor-Joy) that he has been waiting seemingly forever for this night to come. A night on an isolated island tasting food created by the most famous chef on the planet, Chef Slowick (Fiennes). As they board the boat neither Tyler, no the other guests, can contemplate what will be on the menu.
A film that is both dark and funny, “The Menu” benefits from the combination of a smartly written script and some excellent performances. If you’ve ever watched a reality cooking show, you know that the chef’s featured often have an overstated sense of importance. That is true here with Chef Slowick, whose single clap of a hand can bring his entire kitchen staff to attention. Fiennes is perfect in this role, going from stern taskmaster to sarcastic joker seamlessly. The guest list is quite eclectic, with everyone from a well known food critic (Janet McTeer) to a once famous actor (John Leguizamo) who now tells people his career is in “the presenter phase.” Each “course” is presented as a great surprise, though not all of the surprises are good ones.
The film is beautifully shot, with each course its own individual piece of art. I may never eat pickled cucumber balls or slurp down some fancy oysters but they certainly do look good. So does this film.
Potato (Hersh Powers) is a little Soviet-era boy in love with American movies. He enjoys these films so much that, when his mother Lena (Barbieri) is being beaten by one of her boyfriends, he forms his hands into a viewfinder and watches the incident unfold as if it was on the big screen. An odd boy, Potato accepts his mother’s current, abusive boyfriend because he has a color television…much nicer then their old black and white model. Still, he has very few friends. Unless, that is, you count Jesus Christ (Jonathan Bennett), who drops by often. It is a very oppressive society that portrays anything different as evil. Among the presumed evils – homosexuality. Potato is taught that everyone in the West is a homosexual. Except Freddie Mercury, who is much too talented. Wanting to be free of the chains of their country, Potato and his mother are overjoyed when she is chosen by a man in America as a mail order bride. Soon things will be different in the glorious USA. Right?
An unusual film, based on the life of writer/director Hurley (who was born in Russia), “Potato Dreams of America” is almost two different films. Where the Russian act is very bleak visually, it is filled with some great humor. Yet when the setting moves to America, things begin to get quite serious. It’s also unusual in that the main characters are portrayed by different actors during the second act. Potato is now played by Tyler Bocock while Lena is now portrayed by Marya Sea Kaminski. All four actors embrace their characters, as does Dan Lauria, the American husband with secrets of his own.
Hurley’s script is quite funny, especially in the first act, where Potato and Lena do their best to tolerate those who are intolerable among them. And while the film is not rated, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the second act deals with some very adult subject matter, so be advised. That being said, “Potato Dreams of America” is a charming film that deserves an audience.
When Roy Scheider passed away on February 10, 2008 he was in the process of completing a film he was working on called “Iron Cross.” Though the film played some festivals, it was never released. Earlier this year it was announced that the film, now titled “Beautiful Blue Eyes,” (a title suggested to the producers by Scheider) would finally hit theatres, opening this past weekend.
Joseph (Alexander Newton) is a young man living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Even though he is Jewish, he has a non-Jewish girlfriend, who he often visits at night. One morning, after a night with his lover, Joseph returns to his home to find his family being taken away. He goes with them but, when the opportunity arises, runs off, the sound of his family being executed behind him ringing in his ears.
Where to start? I know when Scheider passed it was announced that there was still some of “Iron Cross” that needed to be filmed. I’m not sure if that was ever done, or to what effect those scenes may have had on the finished film. The film wants to be a thriller but is so jumbled in images and plot points that it is, sadly, sometimes hard to understand. We have no idea what kind of cop Joseph was. We get an occasional flash-back to his witnessing atrocities in Poland, only to have a quick cut to what appears to be a similar situation in New York. But we don’t know if this means that Joseph was a brutal cop or just that occasionally something at work would trigger a memory.
Another thing that I really found odd was the entire reason that Joseph and Ronnie were estranged. Joseph wanted Ronnie to follow in his footsteps as a cop, and Ronnie decided to move to Germany. However, he is currently an actor PLAYING a cop on a television program so when he decides to help Joseph investigate his neighbor, he is fully trained in the art of surveillance and investigating. I am a big fan of “NYPD BLUE,” but if I really need a cop, I’m not calling Dennis Franz.
Also confusing is the film’s use of subtitles. Sometimes when the characters are speaking German, their dialogue is accompanied by subtitles. But sometimes, it isn’t. And it seems like there is another actor doing some of Scheider’s dialogue, especially in voice overs. Again, I’m aware that the film as planned was never finished, and I’ve read that “Beautiful Blue Eyes” is approximately 30-minutes shorter then the version of “Iron Cross” that was shown. Those edits may have helped to continuity of the story and made the film less puzzling.
Still, this film gives Scheider’s fans an opportunity to see him on the big screen one more time. His performance is strong, a testament to the man who once told me that his most important role is the one he is currently working on. His final performance was no exception.
Roger Daltrey. Tina Turner. Robert Plant. Freddie Mercury.
These amazing people possess some of the greatest and most powerful voices in the history of Rock and Roll. To that list I humbly add Mr. Alfred Matthew Yankovic. That’s right…”Weird Al.”
In a show that, except for the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” included only original songs – there was a brief medley of some of his more popular parody songs towards the end – Yankovic gave a show that I would put up against any concert I have ever seen. After opening the show with “Fun Zone,” Yankovic reminded the audience that this was going to be a show that some fans have complained about, because he was doing the “funny” stuff. He noted that “the name of the tour should have tipped you off.” And he was right, as the show was billed as “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour.” Not a lot of leeway there. And while I secretly hoped he’d break out his new “Hamilton” medley, I went home utterly amazed at what I’d just witnessed.
True fans of Yankovic are, of course, familiar with his parody hits, but also enjoy his original tunes as well. On this night, he interspersed several of his more popular originals – “One More Minute,” “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” and “The Night Santa Went Crazy” with an array of great tunes, some done much differently then their album versions. “Dare to Be Stupid” was done like a 60s lounge song, while “Craigslist” could have easily been included on an album by the Doors. He really let his rock chops loose when he introduced a song he claimed he’d written for the band Rage Against the Machine. Apparently, the band didn’t record it, so he did. The song, “I’ll Sue Ya,” brought the audience to its feet with its growling vocals and kick ass music. And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the musicians accompanying Yankovic on stage were amazing, showing the skill, and tightness, of a band that had been together for over four decades!
Opening the show was comedian Emo Philips, whose comedy I was introduced to late at night while listening to Dr. Demento with my friends. I always enjoyed his style of comedy and it was a true treat to have the opportunity to see him in person. Speaking of Dr. Demento, early next week (September 14th) will mark the 42nd Anniversary of when I heard “Weird” Al live on Dr. Demento’s radio show introducing his first big parody song, “Another One Rides the Bus.” Wow! I should write a book titled “Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Dr. Demento!”
“Weird” Al’s “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” continues through the end of October. Many shows are sold out, but if you’re thinking about going – and after reading this review, why the hell aren’t you? – click HERE
SET LIST: Fun Zone, Close But No Cigar, Melanie, Bob, One More Minute, Dare to Be Stupid, Dog Eat Dog, Velvet Elvis, Craigslist, You Don’t Love Me Anymore, I’ll Sue Ya, Franks 2000” TV, Don’t Download This Song, The Night Santa Went Crazy, Skipper Dan, Good Old Days, Albuquerque. ENCORE: Psycho Killer, UNPLUGGED MEDLEY – Amish Paradise/Smells Like Nirvana/White & Nerdy/Word Crimes/Yoda.
