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The Critic - The Complete Series Streaming

Martes, Abril 27th, 2010
The Critic - The Complete Series Streaming.

Movie Title: The Critic - The Complete Series
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The Critic - The Complete Series is available for streaming or downloading.

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The Critic was a very misunderstood and underappreciated masterpiece. Thanks to Comedy Central and recurrent bouts of insomnia I have not been without The Critic these many long years, but not a day went by where I didn’t curse those responsible for the show’s demise. How could a show with so many writers, producers, and actors from The Simpsons last only two seasons….IDIOT executives, that’s how.

Voice Talents:
Jon Lovitz as Jay Sherman
Nancy Cartwright as Margo
Gerrit Graham as Franklin
Doris Grau as Doris
Judith Ivery as Eleanor
Charles Napier as Duke Phillips
Nick Jameson as Vlada Velimirovic, others
Maurice LeMarche as Jeremy Hawke, others
Christine Cavanaugh as Martin

(1) The Pilot (1994): Guest star Valerie Fox as an actress who seduces Jay in order to secure a good review for her latest (sub-par) performance. (4 of 5)
(2) Marty’s First Date: It’s career day at Marty’s school (Jay’s son) where Jay is embarrassed and Marty meets the girl who is to be his first date. (5)
(3) Dial `M’ for Mother: Test audiences find Jay cold, uncaring, and homely and less warm and cuddly than Hitler. He goes on Geraldo with his mother in order to soften his image-with disastrously hilarious results. (5)
(4) Miserable: An obsessed projectionist kidnaps Jay so that he can tell her what movies are good. On the plus side, Jay did get some action. Jay is rescued by Jeremy Hawke, his best bud and Australian action hero. (4)
(5) A Little Deb Will Do You: Margo (Jay’s sister) is reluctant to attend a debutante ball despite pressure from her mother (…to starve yourself to fit into a dress, to dance with boys who feel you up, to drink so much you fall into a well, it’s a magical night…). Secondary to threats to shoot her beloved horse, Margo agrees to her mother’s will and has a miserable time. (5)
(6) Eyes on the Prize: Jay celebrates his 1000th episode but poor ratings and no visitor turn-out at his party spur him to quit and focus on winning a Pulitzer. Guest stars Phil Hartman as Adolph Hitmaker, Adam West as himself, and Tress MacNeille make the episode a hit. (4)
(7) Every Doris Has Her Day: Jay and Doris (yep, Lunch lady Doris) go to a show and as they get to know each other better, it becomes apparent that Jay may in fact be Doris’ child given up for adoption years earlier. (4)
(8) Marathon Mensch: To prove his machismo, Jay agrees to train for and run the NY Marathon. Guest star Bob Costas. (4)
(9) L.A. Jay: Jay writes a screenplay and takes it to LA but it’s too good for the illiterate , ex-gigolo executive to produce (instead opting for Revenge of the Nerds 4). Jay is then hired to write `Ghost-Chasers III’ and in so doing must abandon his creative ideology. (5)
(10) Dr. Jay: As Duke announces his plan to change the endings of Holly Woods greatest hits he is stricken with a terminal illness. Jay vows to find a cure. (4)
(11) A Day at the Races and a Night at the Opera: Jay is voted Time Magazine’s Wittiest Man Alive and to improve ratings Duke offers to pay any viewer $100 if they don’t find Jay funny. Upon failing, Duke and Jay are taken to court in a mass class-action suit. Guest stars Steve Allen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (5)
(12) Uneasy Rider: Jay refuses to endorse products on his show and quits his job to become a truck driver. In order to impress his fellow truckers he volunteers for the high-risk jobs. (4)
(13) A Pig-Boy and His Dog: Jay’s mother writes a children’s book whose main character (pig-boy) resembles the critic and he is tortured by the consequences. (5)
(14) Sherman, Woman, and Child (1995): Here we are introduced to Alice, Jay’s assistant and on-again off-again love interest. Alice re-creates Jay’s image thereby saving his job and Jay teachers her how to survive in NYC. (4)
(15) Siskel and Ebert & Jay and Alice: This episode guest stars Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, Rex Reed, and Gene Shalit. Siskel and Ebert splt and each want Jay as their new partner. (4)
(16) Lady Hawke: Jay falls for Jeremy’s twin sister, Olivia. Olivia is a man-eater and Jeremy fights to protect his friend. Meanwhile, Alice finds herself caught in this love triangle. (4)
(17) A Song for Margo: Margo falls for her dangerous new neighbor, Johhny Wrath from the group Nuns in a Blender. When she denies his advances, he abandons her for another, looser woman. (4)
(18) From Chunk to Hunk: Jay and Marty go to a fat camp for diet, exercise, and torture. Marty is successful both in losing weight and subsequently with the ladies. (4)
(19) All the Duke’s Men: Jay is enlisted as a speech writer for Duke Phillips’ presidential campaign. Jay’s writing gains him respect and Duke the loyalty of the masses. When Jay refuses to write a speech where Duke drops Franklin (Jay’s father) as his running mate Duke fires him and reveals his true plans for the country. (5)
(20) Sherman of Arabia: Marty has a slumber party and Jay regales the children with his story of capture and subsequent heroism during the Gulf War. (4)
(21) Frankie and Ellie Get Lost: Following their 40th anniversary, Jay’s parents get lost at sea when their penguin-piloted aircraft crashes. Recall that “penguins can’t fly.” (5)
(22) Dukerella: Miranda, Alice’s sister (Alice is Jay’s girlfriend), visits NY and proceeds to irritate all with her great beauty, naivety, and deep southern ways. Just as Miranda hit’s rock-bottom she meets and falls in love with Duke. (5)
(23) I Can’t Believe It’s a Clip Show: Jay and pals are held hostage at his 10th anniversary show. Although this is a flash-back episode and no way for a show like the Critic to leave us, it did have Milton Berle as the saves-the-day ninja. (4)

The Critic is the brainchild of Al Jean and Mike Reiss (producers of The Simpsons) and is produced by Gracie Films, also of Simpsons fame. It was a highly intelligent and very funny show that made fun of movies, Hollywood, TV stations at the same time as giving us a sympathetic hero and the whacky world he lives in.

Jay Sherman is short, fat, bald and dresses like dweeb, his ex-wife hates him, his boss is always on his back, women run from him in terror and his make-up lady humiliates him at every given opportunity. He’s also voiced by the increasingly adorable Jon Lovitz and has one of the best catchphrases ever. HOTCHIE MOTCHIE!!!!!

The supporting characters are equally hilarious. Jay’s crazy dad is always up to some kind of insanity. His pal Jeremy Hawke (star of the controversial and highly blasphemous Crocodile Gandhi movies) is always featured in some sort of dumb action movie clip. Even his tummy has a ‘feed me’ voice of its own. Though the honors go to Charles Napier, who is absolutely priceless as Jay’s megalomaniacal, all-American hard-man boss.

It’s hard to believe ABC ditched this after ONE EPISODE!!! What were they thinking? Even Fox eventually gave up on it. Sad considering how sharp the writing and humor was. How on earth does self-indulgent, over-rated and long, long past prime trash like Friends gets 10 seasons and The Critic gets 23 episodes. You won’t find Jay Sherman all but winking at the camera or pausing until the fake laughter dies down.

This complete set comes with a fair amount of extras (the cinema screen trivia cards are great) but the best is fact that we get all the ‘webisodes’. In 2000 Jay made a brief comeback on the internet and all those 5 minute shows are featured on the 3rd DVD. My only complaint is, after 22 brilliant episodes, it kind of dies out with an obnoxious and annoying ‘clip show’ than a proper end-of-season finale. Minor complaint nonetheless.

The shows are all presented in 1.33:1 fullscreen, as drawn with a good Dolby 2.0 soundtrack. If Family Guy can come back through strong DVD sales then let’s hope the same for The Critic. Now only if Duckman would come to DVD…

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Streaming King of New York Online

Lunes, Abril 26th, 2010
Streaming King of New York Online.

Movie Title: King of New York
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Some way into Abel Ferrara’s ‘King Of New York’, two gangsters conspire in a small cinema showing F.W. Murnau’s 1922 horror classic ‘Nosferatu’. Playing the scene where the vampire disembarks his corpse- and rat-ridden ship docked in England, it has clear reference to Ferrara’s protagonist, Frank White (Christopher Walken in one of cinema’s great, mercurial performances), a drug-smuggler recently released from a long period in prison, hoping to reassert his local criminal power. White refers to his return as ‘coming back from the dead’, and Walken’s long, haunted figure and dancer’s movements have some of the aristocratic grace of a famous screen Dracula, Christopher Lee. Mostly seen at night, he gathers new recruits (fresh blood) around him to ‘feed’ on. One remarkable shot, after a prolonged sequence of speedy violence, has him lit so his eyes shine like some haunted undead; another has the camera following him through a railway station until it is stopped by bars - it can only impotently watch as White glides up the stairs to be swallowed by the night. The film even has as one of his opponents a cop played by future vampire-slayer Wesley Snipes.

But the ‘Nosferatu’ allusion points to something else - Ferrara’s strange absorption of silent cinema. In terms of content, ‘King’ is a gangster film like any other: loud, ugly, violent, brutal, lurid, hysterical. But it has a purity and beauty very different from the stylised melodramas of Martin Scorcese, whose equally bloodthirsty ‘Goodfellas’ came out in the same year. The first ten minutes is an astonishing, virtually wordless, visual tour-de-force, not simply presenting the main character, his situation and environment, but introducing symbolic motifs that are all the more powerful for being real, a part of Frank’s world, and not simply imposed. Bars and grids (in prison, gates, bridges etc.) are the most prominent, signifying initially Frank’s literal imprisonment, then his difficulties with the law and fellow criminals, and his frustrated ambitions (including a Guiliani-like zero-tolerance programme to clean up the streets), but eventually, as we might expect from a Ferrara littering his film with religious iconography, something much more metaphysical, outside the confines of genre (hence the references to Melville).

After this, there is a lot of talk - noisy, profane, funny, aggressive, threatening - but the best sequences retain this silent aesthetic: the night-club double cross leading to a car chase and man-hunt under a bridge; a police funeral in which a limousine hit provokes the scattering of black-clad, bankside mourners; the ‘Le Samourai’-like subway confrontation between gangster and cop [although the film's very greatest scene, Larry Fishburne's Jimmy Jump ordering fast food just before being busted for murder, depends for its effect on the conflict between talk and silence, his bluster oblivious to the soundless arrests playing out behind him]. The use of huge, intense close-ups recall the emotional silent era, as does Ferrara’s camerawork, more deliberate and heavy than Scorcese’s flash pyrotechnics. The staging of set-pieces is as artifical as Murnau’s setscapes in ‘Sunrise’; the underworld carnival is more Celine than Scorcese. Even the use of blue filter in key scenes is less a signifier of atmosphere or artifice than a nod to the practise of ‘colorising’ monochrome silents.

By employing this style from a period he clearly loves, Ferrara is able to inject a spirituality and ceremonial gravitas not immediately apparent in the crudity of the genre subject.

KING OF NEW YORK is, for my money, the most valuable (and the most underrated) film of the last 20 years. It is a homage to the classic American genre - the gangster fable - with the depth and subtext of a European art-movie. It’s a precursor to urban crime thrillers like New Jack City and Menace II Society (Ferrara points out they first used a rap-score in 1982). An ode to drug-culture. A pitchblack satire of capitalism and its grotesque fallout. It’s got a cast to die for, and a close-knit crew at the height of their powers.

It’s shot across an array of locations including Sing-Sing, Donald Trump’s Plaza Hotel, and various crack-lanes; it weaves seamlessly between an original score, and the music of Vivaldi and Schooly D; the film is meticulously colour-coded (as pointed out by Nick Johnstone in his book) to add up to a cold critique of the red WHITE and blue, the all-American war-on-drugs; the tempo is expertly-managed, the movie simmers for a while then explodes into heavy-metal carnage, and then it dies with a sad whimper. The film is spectacularly violent, but think about the handling of the violence. There’s a big Peckinpah slo-mo shootout, then the audacious shootout in Chinatown. But in the 2nd half of the movie the deaths are direct, painful to watch, and pitiful in their execution.

And then there’s the cast: Walken was never better. He mesmirises you, brilliantly charismatic. And he looks so otherworldy, what with the hair and the deathly complexion, he’s like the man who fell to Earth, the oddest looking `hero’ you’ve ever seen. Fishburne reinvented a character imagined for James Russo and the whole movie turns on that transition. Its simply impossible to imagine how it could have worked ½ as well with Russo, or any1 else for that matter. Caruso is a fire-engine red ball of rage. The scene when he rushes from his colleagues funeral is one of the most beautifully played-out expressions of vigilantism ever put on film. Argo as a weary, deflated, pill-poppin’ `old man’ who has been there and knows the war is unwise and un-win-able.

As far as Im concerned, every sequence, every line of dialogue (”I’m not the problem, I’m just a businessman”) is pure gold. Ferrara’s is the cult-of-cults, his movies usually too far-out or nihilistic to get much of a following. But this one I bet Tarantino wishes he’d made.

And the DVD package…The documentary is not comprehensive, but it re-enforces what sets Ferrara’s films above those of most of his contemporaries, the sheer degree of collaboration involved. Abe’s anarchist mentality has freed up guys like Joe Delia (music), Anthony Redman (editor), Charles Lagola (production design) and Ken Kelsch to make exactly the sort of films they want. Kelsch makes the most telling statement towards the end, which might explain why Ferrara hasn’t made a film for about five years (after a Woody Allen-esque burst of creativity in the 90s). In fact, as basic as it is, the doco is startlingly honest and revealing about its subject.

Ferrara previously contributed a delirious commentary to The Driller Killer, but this time round you kinda feel sad listening to his hazy lack of insight, having the suspicion that his personal curse has robbed him of both his allies and his inspiration at the moment when he’s finally getting his dues. But the commentary track is actually a blast! Abel and his best-mate Frankie crack open a few brews, he makes some funny asides about Walken’s hair and the reaction to the film on release. And if you get to the credits, you get to listen to Abel bang out Schooly’s title-track on an acoustic guitar with a Dylan drawl.

Check out the title card on the trailer. Under the title it reads (a Ferrara / St. John original), like the credits on the label of a 45″ record. Like Mick and Keef, or Scorsese and Schrader, these guys made dynamite 2gether. KONY is their towering achievement, it’s one of the great films ever made.

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Stream RiffTrax: House on Haunted Hill - from the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000! Online

Domingo, Abril 25th, 2010
Stream RiffTrax: House on Haunted Hill - from the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000! Online.

Movie Title: RiffTrax: House on Haunted Hill - from the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000!
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RiffTrax: House on Haunted Hill - from the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000! is available for streaming or downloading.

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As a fan of old black and white “B” horror movies, I’ve always loved “House on Haunted Hill.” It’s pretty lame by today’s blood & gore standards, but I saw it as a kid and found it scarey. I have quite a few DVD’s of this movie, bought for a mere $1 during Halloween. That said, I’m also a fan of the good-ole MST3K nitwits, and this was my first Rifftrax rental. Don’t expect the MST3K stuff like skits, shadows of the guys watching the movie, or even an introduction! The movie starts and the guys immediately riff in the background. You simply just HEAR, but never see them! When the movie ends, they sign off. I thought the riffing was good, especially for the two lame-brained leads who (of course) always place themselves in danger. “Lance” is always just one step away from the next concussion. They barely touch Vincent Price, but he’s such a good actor and one of my favorites, so that’s okay with me. I’m happy to hear the guys, even if I can’t see them. That’s probably why the Rifftrax DVD’s are more affordable.

This is a nice high-quality DVD of House on Haunted Hill. It was touch spartan; there’s no subtitles of either the movie or the riffing, there’s no MST3K-style video introduction (which would have been nice; would it have been hard to put a five minute pre-movie warmup, using whatever set came to hand), there’s no shadows on the screen (which I’ve seen done with just subtitles, on the Ghostbusters DVD, IIRC), and there’s not even a coming/available advertisement. There’s just the movie, and two soundtracks, one with and one without riffing.

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As for the meat of the material, House on Haunted Hill is a fairly classic old movie and moderately riffable. I’d place the riffs here about average for an MST3K and there was enough classic horror movie shtics and movie-specific jokes to make it worth my while.

But it is a good classic horror movie, and well worth your time watching it unMST3Ked before ruining all the surprises in the comedic mode. If you’ve got the DVD and haven’t seen the movie, take the time to watch the original first.

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Second Chorus Streaming

Viernes, Abril 23rd, 2010
Second Chorus Streaming.

Movie Title: Second Chorus
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this hal roach studios dvd release of ’second chorus’ has to be the best restoration of this film so far. not top of the line spectacular, but very, very good!! on the back cover it says the dvd is “mastered from original 35mm nitrate camera negative”, and indeed the images are clean and crisp, no spots, specs, or lines. those who have seen the inferior prints of this film in the past will be pleasantly surprised. it’s well worth the money.

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for me, astaire is hollywood royalty; a peerless dancer and entertainer. all of astaire’s body of work is great — he never fails to deliver fresh, original interpretations of music through his singing and dancing. his films should be in every dvd library, that’s why THIS DVD EDITION is such a find.

and while the film itself is not a classic, it does have some wonderful moments, starting with the toe-tapping tune by the artie shaw orchestra that accompanies the opening credits. this, along with “i ain’t hep to that step but i’ll dig it” and “love of my life” and the instrumental band music … they’re all upbeat, peppy tunes. it’s a shame there’s not more of them, they’re just great to listen to.

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paulette goddard’s sweet-tart personality also works well with astaire, and her one dance (a jitterbug!!) with astaire is well done and fun to watch. again, we could use more dancing, even the great astaire has ONE solo dance number. goddard herself was just reaching fullblown stardom at this time (1940). burgess meredith, brilliant as always. artie shaw, charles butterworth and the supporting cast, excellent.

with more music and dance numbers (this film seems to have fewer numbers than your traditional musical), and perhaps better production values (paramount studios would do better by astaire in later films) this could have been a classic musical. but even so, as it is , it’s still well worth a look!!!!

What did Fred Astaire have to say about Second Chorus? “The worst picture I ever worked on.”

Looking at it now the movie has some redeeming qualities, but on balance we have a Fred Astaire musical with only two real dance numbers, and the second is near the end of the movie, plus it’s a musical with only three songs…and each of the songs has a different composer with Johnny Mercer doing all the lyrics. The musical has the earmarks of an idea that went wrong. Still, if you’re an Astaire fan it’s worth watching all the way through once, and then using your fast-forward clicker several times to the three musical numbers, which are good.

Trumpet player Danny O’Neill (Fred Astaire) heads The University Perennials, a reasonably successful college band made up of musicians who deliberately fail each year to graduate. His best friend and competitor is a fellow trumpet player, Hank Taylor (Burgess Meredith). They both fall for Ellen Miller (Paulette Goddard), whom they hire to manage the band, and they both compete for a spot with Artie Shaw. There’s plenty of plot complications, friendly but under-handed double dealing and lots of misunderstandings. Eventually, Danny and Ellen wind up together, Danny wins a place with Shaw…and probably so does Hank.

The fast-forward button is essential because the plot just goes on and on. What the movie has going for it is Astaire, when he’s given the opportunity to dance and to sing, the music of Artie Shaw, trumpet players Bobby Hackett dubbing for Astaire and Billy Butterfield dubbing for Meredith, and Johnny Mercer’s lyrics. Mercer collaborated with Shaw on the one romantic swing number Astaire sings to Goddard. It’s a knock-out. Unfortunately, the song has been long forgotten, but it’s worth the price of the public domain DVD. “Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life?” goes like this:

Would you like to be the love of my life for always,

And always watch over me?

To square my blunders, and share my dreams

One day with caviar, next day a chocolate bar.

Would you like to take the merry go round I’ll lead you,

I’ll need you, wait and you’ll see

I hope in your horoscope

There is room for a dope who adores you,

That would make

The only dreams of my life come true,

For the love of my life is you.

Astaire’s dance number with Goddard to “I Ain’t Hep to That Step But I’ll Dig It” (music by Hal Borne) is a fast charmer. Goddard was no dancer, and it’s interesting to see how cleverly Astaire positions her to make her look good. What’s frustrating is that one number that evidently was very good was cut to make more time for the story and for Artie Shaw and his band. The number was called “Me and the Ghost Upstairs” with music by Bernard Hanighen and words by Mercer. Hermes Pan danced the part of the ghost. The number was filmed but the only things that survive, as far as I know, are a couple of rehearsal out-takes and the song track by Astaire. It features some of Mercer’s cleverest lyrics:

Once upon a midnight dreary

While I pondered weak and weary

From a long trip on the Erie

Comes a rappin’ on my chamber door

It’s an ectoplasmic tapping

That disturbs my nightly napping

Like a shroud that’s gently flapping

Emanating from the second floor

Buddies are we, me and the ghost upstairs

Sipping our tea, me and the ghost upstairs

But he’s inclined to moan when left alone

So I think of things that’ll tickle his funny bone

Lonely old ghost upstairs

Regular folks, droppin’ our worldly cares

Swappin’ our jokes, me and the ghost upstairs

And then he slaps his shroud and laughs out loud

And says “Oh boy, that’ll paralyze all the crowd”

Jolly old ghost upstairs

He’s quite a cook, he serves a beautiful drink

He wrote a book and in invisible ink

I took a look and the title ‘pon the page

Was ‘The Groups of Wraith’

Once in a while he brings a gang of friends

Does it in style, careless of what he spends

And though the place is small we have a ball

‘Cause you know those spooks don’t require no room at all

We have some mighty fine affairs

Me and the ghost upstairs

We have some mighty fine affairs

Me and the ghost upstairs.

My copy of the movie is from Passport Video. It’s watchable but not much more than that. There are chapter stops but they aren’t keyed to the musical numbers, which is an irritation. Still, if you’re an Astaire completeist (and I am) and like Johnny Mercer and Artie Shaw, you might want this. And don’t forget “Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life.” It really is a first-class, sophisticated, swinging love song.

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Streaming The World of Narue Collection Online

Jueves, Abril 22nd, 2010
Streaming The World of Narue Collection Online. Streaming The World of Narue Collection Online.

Movie Title: The World of Narue Collection
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The World of Narue Collection is available for streaming or downloading.

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In a nutshell, definitely worth it. This became one of my favorite shows when I first saw it, and I was taken by surprise at how well CPM actually treated this series with their box set. The 4-DVD set is extremely well done, with tons of extras (including actors commentaries, directors commentaries all subtitled), and contains everything you’d need. Also, as someone who really hates English dubs, I was surprised at the quality of the dub, especially with the leads.

For those who don’t know the show or manga series, it’s a great gentle romantic love comedy that tries to be as real as possible, given the fact that the girl (Narue) is half-ailen. The characters though, are made to be like real people, not characatures, making the show much more enjoyable.

14yr-old Narue Nanase is half-alien, half-human. Her human mom died when she was little, and she lives alone in a run-down apartment with her (alien) dad, who came to Earth 14 years beforehand as an observer. Because Narue knows she’s half alien, she’s always kept to herself, and never made any friends. Others in class don’t believe she’s an alien, and mock her. Though she knows her father was born in space, Narue loves the Earth, and wants to stay (as to her, Earth is home) and hates it when the Galaxy Federation pesters her to go to school in space, because she’s half-human too. But not just the Galaxy Federation want her to leave: there’s an alien terrorist group that will use violence to get them to leave, and that causes trouble. Thankfully the one thing Narue can do is teleport with the help of a special headband connected to an orbiting ship. With Narue and her dad being very poor (as now the dad has taken a normal Earth construction job) Narue is responsible, and very, very thrifty. Knowing she’s half-alien, she keeps to herself, and has no friends.

Kazu Izuka: the same age as Narue, he goes to the same school. Friendly, average guy, not popular, but not shunned either. A bit of an otaku (anime fan) but not overboard. When Narue saves him from an alien terrorist, he instantly falls for her, and doesn’t care that she’s half alien (he’s just happy he has a girlfriend). Basically an easygoing, honest guy.

Hajime Yagi: a girl in Narue’s class who is a total Sci-Fi nut (aka, a walking X-Files). She can’t stand it that Narue claims to be an alien, because she insists aliens have tenticles and look like the pictures in her book. But she’s not bad, as you’ll later discover.. a latch-key kid, she doesn’t have any friends either, except to absorb herself in her books. A great character.

Maruo: Kazu’s best friend, and Yagi’s neighbor. He’s always liked Yagi, though Yagi doesn’t notice (to her, Maruo’s just a childhood friend and neighbor).

Kanaka Nanase: Narue’s younger “older sister. 100% alien (same dad, different mom), Kanaka would be 12 years older than Narue, except that when she travelled to earth she didn’t age as time on Earth did, so she arrives still being 12 years old, making her younger even though she’s an “older sister”. Sometimes can be bratty, but deep down, a nice person.

There are plenty of other characters as well that I won’t go into here (including a starship in love), but I hope the above give you an idea of the setting of the show.

However you should know that the series doesn’t focus so much on the sci-fi angle, but rather the characters themselves, and the relationship between them — making it nicely refreshing. Kazu-chan is the first boyfriend (or friend for that matter) Narue’s ever had, and Narue is the first girlfriend Kazu’s ever had.

Nothing groundbreaking in this show, but it’s just a nice, enjoyable time. There’s just something about the characters and the gentle humor that make me enjoy watching this over and over (everything from the way Kazu’s mom and older sister act when Kazu brings Narue to his house, to the “first date” episode — where things don’t follow the tired “fall apart” route other series will take.

Just a very nice show, well done all around. You should know there are a few panty shots (fan service) but they’re brief (no pun intended) and do NOT reflect the tone of the story (it’s like they were almost obligatory). A nice, fun little romantic love comedy for everyone, packaged extremely well by CPM. Take a chance on this one, you’ll like it.

One of 2004’s biggest surprises was this charming 12-episode TV series, THE WORLD OF NARUE. Gorgeously animated and populated with a very believable cast of characters, the show is a classic “boy meets girl” story with many twists and elements thrown in for good measure. There are even pop culture references-which include (in the English version at least) a hilarious spoof on Arnold Schwarzenegger!

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Narue Nanase is a fourteen-year-old girl who lives with her father in a rundown apartment. She’s not normal, however; it takes us about three-quarters of the way through the first episode for us to realize that she is, in fact, an alien from outer space. When Narue rescues a young boy her age, nerdy yet sweet Kazuto Iizuka (who, by the way, is very similar to Jean in NADIA: THE SECRET OF BLUE WATER), it sparks the beginning of a beautiful relationship and, naturally, the expected obstacles that occasionally threaten them.

Like most classic Anime shows, it’s the character development that gives THE WORLD OF NARUE its heart and soul. Narue and Kazuto are both very likeable and pleasant protagonists, and if their puppy love sometimes comes across as a tad too saccharine, the well-rounded supporting cast somehow prevents the show from falling into treacly territory. There’s Masaki Maruo, Kazu’s zany (and outrageously funny) best friend, who doesn’t know a thing or two about dealing with the opposite sex yet has his heart in the right place. And then we have Kanaka Nanase, Narue’s “younger, older” sister who possesses a nasty kick and an occasionally mischievous nature, yet her outgoing friendliness quickly wins our hearts.

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My favorite of the supporting cast, though, has to be Hajime Yagi, a self-proclaimed expert on UFOs who changes a lot more than the rest of the cast does. When we first meet Yagi, she comes across as a sullen, sulky young girl who doesn’t believe Narue is really an alien and tries to expose her as a fraud. She also tends to be adversarial around Maruo when he tries to reach out to her. But we learn later that this is all a mask to cover her insecurity and loneliness, and, as the show progresses, Yagi eventually changes her attitude and becomes friends with Narue.

As colorful as the cast is, however, THE WORLD OF NARUE is, alas, far from a perfect series. The problem does not lie in the production values, which are stunning and colorful, but rather, in the story structure. The concept of an alien learning how to deal with ordinary situations in real-life is one that offers a lot of potential and interest for fans. Sadly, one of NARUE’s primary shortcomings is its failure to delve more deeply into the idea. Instead, it serves to give fans exactly what they demand from usual Anime shows-introductory sequences for the characters that serve over five episodes, occasional story arcs, and filler fare.

And while many of these side stories are very entertaining, one of them-which involves Narue trying to win Kazu back from a bitchy voice actress at a cosplay contest-is a complete waste. Here in this episode, Kazu, usually a caring and considerate fellow, suddenly becomes a jerk and ditches Narue in favor of getting an autograph from the aforementioned voice actress. Not only is this story bizarrely out of character, it’s poorly written and sloppily executed-every bit as bad as those unbearable island and African episodes from NADIA. A better idea would have been to do a heartwarming Christmas episode.

That isn’t to say that THE WORLD OF NARUE is worthless; in fact, it’s absolutely delightful as a series, but what would have elevated this show to classic status might be an even deeper analysis of the ups and downs of life as told from an outsider’s point of view. And it’s disappointing that a show as entertaining as this could make the unfortunate mistake of playing it safe rather than taking risks.

For Central Park Media’s part, though, I have nothing but compliments for their presentation of this series. The video quality is above average, and the audio tracks are very well mixed. The show is laid out over four discs, each of which is packed with extras, including a lengthy documentary on the Big Apple Voice Acting Idol Contest, where the champion, a talented young actress by the name of Michele Knotz, got the role of Hajime Yagi. Her performance, by the way, is my absolute favorite of the English version; she really does bring out Yagi’s troubled yet sympathetic qualities and projects a lot of energy into the role. If this bravura example of voice acting is any indication, Knotz could very well be on her way to becoming a talented actress in the future.

Speaking of the dub, I have to say that this is one of Central Park Media’s finest efforts so far, ranking up there with my favorites from them such as LODOSS WAR, SLAYERS, and ANIMATION RUNNER KUROMI. Veronica Taylor is delightfully sweet and adorable as Narue, Jimmy Zoppi is outrageously nutty as Maruo, and Rachel Lillis delivers yet another bang-up performance as Kanaka. Jamie McGonnigal’s Kazu rubbed my ears the wrong way upon my first listen (he sounded way different from what I was expecting), but after a while he grew on me. Rounding out the cast are some more multi-talented performers, including Lisa Ortiz (in two hilariously villainous roles!), Angora Deb, Carol Jacobanis, and Dan Green. But as mentioned, it’s Knotz’s Yagi who takes the cake. She really is that good.

While THE WORLD OF NARUE falls short of classic status (and would have been better off without that stupid cosplay episode), there is no denying that the show has an enormous charm, with lovable characters and irresistible entertainment (not to mention occasional fan service) throughout. In short, it’s a direct hit to your heart!

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Watch Animaniacs, Vol. 2 Online

Miércoles, Abril 21st, 2010
Watch Animaniacs, Vol. 2 Online. Watch Animaniacs, Vol. 2 Online.

Movie Title: Animaniacs, Vol. 2
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Animaniacs, Vol. 2 is available for streaming or downloading.

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This is it. The second volume of Speilberg’s acclaimed animated series “Animaniacs” featuring an overload of original characters and episodes to keep you laughin’ till next week. If you haven’t lived during the past decade, that is to say you’ve never even heard of “Animaniacs”, you really don’t know what you’re missing. By the way, there seems to be a few characters I seem to have missed from the volume 1 review, which are:

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Minerva Mink: Like Hello Nurse, no man - or man-beast - can resist her exquisite beauty, that is unless she meets the guy of her dreams.

Chicken Boo: A six-foot chicken who claims to be a master of disguise, but he really isn’t.

Randy Beaman: At times this weird little boy tells the weirdest of stories.

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Katie Kaboom: She’s your average teenage girl with a not-so-average problem.

Mr. Skullhead: An odd bone-faced fellow who stars in a huge number of shorts entitled “Good Idea, Bad Idea”. It wasn’t long until he had his very own episode, which is in this volume.

Besides the actual episodes, there are a ton of various other shorts starring the Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister and friends, such as “Dot’s Poetry Corner”, “The Great Wakkorotti”, and, of course, “The Wheel of Morality”. There’s even a catchy song or two in at least one episode. Hey, this is “Animaniacs”, anything can happen in this series.

Such randomness features a plethora of puns and references to actual events and/or stories and movies along with hilarious antics and such like dropping anvils and dynamite down one’s pants. Some episodes also have very distinct themes like “Cartoons in Wakko’s Body”, “Useless Facts”, and my favorite, “Animaniacs Stew”.

So get your Yakko, Wakko, and Dot on with this new release on a 5-disc DVD set. And don’t forget to check out the feature “The Writers Flipped, They Have No Script” where we get to meet the madcap minds behind the stories as they discuss their best episodes of the series. You know, all this excitement is making me geared up for volume three, which I hope is real soon !

I probably don’t need to go into how great this show was. Others have already done that in their reviews of Volume 1 released back in July. This second volume contains some of my favorite episodes, so I was really thrilled to have them. There are several hours of these great cartoons here for you to discover or (as in my case) re-discover. It seems they don’t make shows like this anymore. Highly recommended.

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Streaming Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Online

Martes, Abril 20th, 2010
Streaming Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Online.

Movie Title: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
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I have often thought upon viewing the prequel trilogy, the intervening years between the original and the new. To be sure, most of the criticisms of the new trilogy are adult in nature. We speak ill of wooden dialogue and acting, convoluted storylines, and themes that aren’t true to the nature of the purity of science fiction. I was only five when Episode IV was release, so my only criticism of that particular film came in the form of whining to my folks that I couldn’t see it again and again and again.

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My point is this: George Lucas has his flaws, most of which are related to him being out of the director’s chair for more than 20 years before embarking on his new trilogy toy, but I think, more importantly, that we as a filmgoing populace have changed as well. The fact that Lucas has been able to bridge that gap successfully (while telling the story backwards, to boot!) demonstrates the man’s immense talents. Perfect? Far from it, but damned entertaining, nonetheless.

Which brings me to the crown jewel of the prequel trilogy. “Revenge of the Sith” is the second best film of all six, ranking only behind “The Empire Strikes Back” in terms of depth an substance. The acting is better and the writing, if not terrific, is helped by a game cast and a pace that doesn’t allow you to catch your breath. Hayden Christiansan, for the most part, owns this role, displaying an adult gravity he was unable to display in the dramatically clunky “Attack of the Clones” The rage, frustration, and fear contrasted with Anakin’s heroism and confidence in the face of battle made for a complex character who you found yourself rooting for despite the story’s preordained outcome.

The special effects, as usual, are outstanding, but for the most part serve the film this time. There are points during the first two prequel films that you feel Lucas and Co. are simply showing off some of their shiny new toys, but in this film there is a more concrete sense of purpose.

Dramatically the film belongs to Ian McDiarmid. His performance creates the right balance of charm and villiany and by doing so makes Anakin’s turn all the more believable even though the turn itself feels a tad sudden. In fact, I dare say that I enjoyed McDiarmid more when he was under the guise of Palpatine than when he fully reveals himself as Sidious. The scene during the opera is one of the great dramatic highpoints of any of the six movies.

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As for the flaws: sure, there were a few. I would like to have seen a more galvanizing series of events leading to Anakin’s turn, perhaps some more perceived betrayals at the hands of the Jedi Council? I would like to have seen a more fleshed out performance by Natalie Portman, who seems to be more of an afterthought than a character in the third film. (On a side note, Portman is a terrific actress, but was, in this humble reviewer’s opinion, the most ill-served of the entire cast by the clunky dialogue that pervades all three films.)

The one part to which I didn’t object that seemed to be the bane of many Star Wars fans is the scene involving the birth of Vader. I liked the allusions to “Frankenstein” for that is what Vader’s story eventually becomes in the following trilogy: a search for his humanity, much like Mary Shelley’s creation.

I also didn’t have a problem with Vader’s reaction to the fact he’d caused Padme’s death. You have to remember that, despite the fact that he now has James Earl Jones’ booming voice, he’s still Anakin and still very young. It does sound odd, I admit, but it’s still completely in character. You also have to remember that Darth Vader will have a good 20 to 25 years to complete his transformation into the cold, remorseless killing machine we come to know and love in Episode IV.

In all, “Revenge of the Sith” does a terrific job of tying things together in a manner that harkens back to when I was a child watching Star Wars for the first time. It’s impossible, as an adult, to completely dismiss some of the flaws in the later films, but Episode III definitely comes close. It is a magnificent piece of escapist filmaking that has heart, soul, and character and I would highly recommend it to anyone, Star Wars fan or no, looking for a fun time at the movies.

I never really understood what was so great about the Star Wars movies when I was growing up. I was born after the originals were released, so I was never a part of that “culture” that Star Wars is. I saw them when I was around 13 or 14 and fell asleep before the end of all three. I never had the desire to really see them again until Phantom Menace came out. I didn’t see it in theaters, but I watched it, liked it, and waited for the next one to come out. I liked Episode II a lot better (I have to admit that half of that appreciation is because I love Haydn), but I still didn’t really “get” Star Wars. Well, I saw the triler for the third film, and I thought it looked really good. I also thought it was going to be sad, but I didn’t realize that I was going to cry all the way home from the movie theater! After the experience of seeing Episode III, I now finally understand what Star Wars is all about, and I love it! This movie perfectly ties the two trilogies together. It is so emotionally powerful. I know a lot of people say that George Lucas can’t write diologue and can’t direct anything but action scenes, but I completely disagree. Though some lines are a bit corny, each scene is treated with a tremendous amount of care and sets up your emotions so that you react to certain sad cercumstances (I’m sure you know what I’m refering to)in a very personal way. I have watched all three of the first series since seeing Episode III, and I appreciate them so much, because now I understand!

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Watch Trainspotting - Director’s Cut Movie Online

Lunes, Abril 19th, 2010
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Movie Title: Trainspotting - Director’s Cut
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I’d like to begin this review with my pre-viewing expectations - - ZILCH! I had never heard of this movie, had not viewed the trailer or read the box, I just sat down on my sofa as my husband pressed “play” on the remote and jumped right in with both feet. The first few minutes made me squirm, I was thinking “oh no, a movie glorifying drugs, with lots of F-words and thick accents”, but the narration of the main character, Mark Renton, was intellectually stimulating, so I listened more closely and allowed myself to become immersed in the story. The characters in this story are ugly, heroin-addicted losers, but they are portrayed as very real people - - yes, they are bad, but they are not evil. Their lives are extremely grim and repugnant. I’ve always wondered how people addicted to heroin can live their lives thinking they are living normally, and the addiction is so powerful it renders them powerless to live any other way, but then I realized almost anything can be considered an addiction - - we all wrestle with something, be it our weight, our ethics, our punctuality, etc.. Moments when we convince ourselves it will be the last time, until the next time.

The film makes some interesting comparisons between a “normal” life, and the twisted lives of these characters. You notice small hypocrisies, such as the friend in the pub railing against drug use, while he obviously has an alcohol and an anger-management problem. This film also addresses the issues of loyalty, culture, politics - - with some scathing commentary on consumerism and capitalism - - and some digs at the “Just Say No” and “Choose Life” rallying cries. I particularly liked the ending - - there were no sweeping revelations for the characters, they remained true to their weaknesses, true to their characters.

There are plenty of sad, sick moments, and there are some very funny moments, even through the darkness, and the wit of each character is fantastic. Some of the most imaginative sequences I enjoyed immensely, but felt as though they could’ve done without the extremism and still kept a good flowing story. Still, they certainly made a strong point in the scene involving the most disgusting toilet in Scotland. As for the dialogue, I am going to have to watch it again, just to make sure I caught it all. My husband and I finally admitted we weren’t understanding the dialogue as fully as we would’ve liked, so we switched to the “hearing-impaired” sub-titles about 30 minutes into the film. The Scottish accents are the thickest!

The acting is terrific, across the board. I was shocked - - just flabbergasted! - - as the film ended and I saw Ewan McGregor was Mark Renton! He looked so gaunt and ill, not the charming and handsome Ewan McGregor of ‘Moulin Rouge’!

Definitely not a movie for the kids, ‘Trainspotting’ is a film everyone should see once, even if the topic is unsettling. Plus, I give it extra stars for utilizing my favorite descriptive noun - - “wanker”. I also appreciated the integration of Iggy Pop’s song “Lust for Life”, knowing that it was written after Iggy had kicked his heroin habit and had a newfound lust for life. I’m just glad to hear that song used anywhere other than car commercials!

Is the rhetorical question asked by Renton (Ewan McGregor) early on in the movie. That sums up the complete hold that heroin exerts on the lives of main characters of the movie and the horrendous consequences of this addiction.

I have heard that Trainspotting has been criticized as glorifing drugs. People making this comment must be out of their minds. I have never seen such a powerful indictment of heroin and its effects and I ever had any inclination to try the stuff then a single viewing of the movie cured me forever.

Most movies that I watch leave no lasting impression on me but many of the scenes in Trainspotting will stay with me for a very long time. There are moments that make you laugh out loud (Spud’s job interview for example) and others that are some of the most powerful and disturbing film images that I have ever seen.

Danny Boyle and co. have do a marvellous job of making a film about real people and real lives while making it compelling viewing at the same time. The soundtrack is excellent just to round off the experience.

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Stream Christmas Past - Vintage Holiday Films Movie Online

Lunes, Abril 19th, 2010

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Essential Ernest Collection Streaming

Domingo, Abril 18th, 2010
Essential Ernest Collection Streaming.

Movie Title: Essential Ernest Collection
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The “Essential Ernest Collection” DVD set from Millcreek Entertainment is a combination of the “Maximum Ernest” and “Ultimate Ernest” sets. There is no reason to buy those two sets singularly, as this one is a better deal and features the same exact content.

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This set features the last two Ernest movies Jim Varney did, “Ernest Goes To Africa” and “Ernest In the Army”. These two were previously available on DVD, so most Ernest fans probably already own them. I bought this set for:

“Ernest’s Greatest Hits Volume 1″ and “Ernest Greatest Hits Volume 2″ - Which are compilations of the many Ernest commercials Jim Varney did before doing the movies. Each are about an hour long and are one DVD of the set. They include some great outtakes and behind the scenes footage.

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“Hey Vern! It’s My Family Album” and “Your World As I See It” are on another disc and feature tons of Ernest skits.

If you enjoyed the Ernest movies, this set is very much worth it; especially considering the price. Mill Creek Entertainment actually licensed the programs on it, which was very surprising considering their awful ‘50 Movie Packs’. Now we just need the Ernest TV show, and US DVD releases of “Ernest Rides Again” (which you can get as a Canadian DVD off of ebay) and “Ernest Goes To School”.

Knowwhatamean?

This rating applies to the collection, itself…not the works, which are rated individually below. Thanks.

Ernest Goes to Africa: typical B flick, filmed like live television, film quality is horrid, and the premise runs like Jim Carrey’s When Nature Calls. This is pretty bad, and the least deserving of the Ernest line, but if you loved Varney, it’s worth having, if only to complete your collection…2/5

Ernest in the Army: again, this is not his best work, but it’s essential, if you are a fan of Varney. 2.4/5

Ernest’s Greatest Hits 1 & 2: This appears to be what was once the little-known VHS entitled, “KnowhutImean?” I can’t swear that this collection bears the exact same commercials and TV spots as in the mentioned work, but considering how KnowhutImean? is not available on DVD, this is more than adequate as a replacement, as some of the spots/ads/etc. are along the same vein. 4/5

Vern! It’s My Family Album: I was hoping this would be Varney in all his wonderful characters, but alas! it was not. He assumes a few, but these skits and characters were obviously written for this work, and bear no resemblance to the characters we’ve come to know and love. 2/5.

Your World As I See It: Mildly amusing pomposity on a stick, and something I hadn’t expected from Varney. 3/5.

Now, I realize these averages do not add up to 5/5 as I’ve rated this collection, but seeing as how some of these are hard to find and are superfluous to all but the most avid fan and/or collector, I rate the set itself as a 5/5.

I miss you, Jim Varney. RIP, old friend.

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