WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? (2008)

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?
**
Rating: PG-13
Length: 93 minutes
Director: Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me)
Writers: Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and Jeremy Chilnick
Starring: Morgan Spurlock, Alexandra Jamieson

Morgan Spurlock lucked out with a documentary that told people something that was very obvious- fast food is bad for you. How many people eat fast food and actually think they are doing their body a favor? Not to say that “Super Size Me” wasn’t an entertaining documentary. I liked it. It didn’t sway my opinion on McDonald’s like it did with everyone else that watched it (and then went back to eating it again in a couple of a months). The movie earned an Oscar nomination and a television series for Spurlock on the FX network called “30 Days”, where he basically milked his “I’ll try such and such for thirty days to show you how to tough or unhealthy it is to do it”. Now, like the last kid to finish the race, he comes along with his Iraq war doc, “Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?”, in which Spurlock goes on a world wide search for the “most hated” man in America (now that Saddam is dead, of course). The movie goes to show what many all ready knew- Spurlock can be entertaining, but as a documentarian he isn’t exactly Errol Morris. Why the Weinstein Brothers paid a whole lot of millions to obtain the rights to this movie (after only seeing the first fifteen minutes) is beyond me. America is over Iraq war movies- not just with documentaries (though the Oscars seem to believe different), but with movies even dealing with the subject (look at the box office receipts for “Stop Loss” and “Lion for Lambs”, etc.). We all care deeply about the war and want it to end, but seriously how many more movies do we need about it? Those who have seen the picture may question if it is even a war doc to begin with. After all, Spurlock is mainly just exposing the myths both sides of the war have against each other and he “comically” pulls a Carmen Sandiago in trying to find Osama. So maybe describing it as a war doc is unfair, yet it is impossible to not have it on your mind while viewing the picture and I believe that was an intentional choice on Spurlock’s part. Spurlock’s charisma is also an acquired taste (to put it best). His “I’m smarter than you, yet on the same level as the common man” approach can get old and annoying rather quickly. Was I entertained by this documentary? Sort of. Did I learn anything? Not really. Morgan Spurlock may have got McDonald’s to end their “Super Size” option on their menus, but I’m not really sure what he’s trying to accomplish here. By now, most Americans are smart enough to know that Osama Bin Laden is not the big bad boogeyman that our government has built him up to be. He is, without a doubt, a criminal and a danger to society, but he isn’t waiting in New York City to blow up anything anytime soon. Maybe he’s hanging out with those weapons of mass destruction- or maybe he 's hanging out at the local McAdee's ordering a Big Mac.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
MC Hammer- U Can’t Touch This
Elvis Costello & the Attractions- What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding (right click and “save as”)

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THE KILLING OF JOHN LENNON (2008)

THE KILLING OF JOHN LENNON
*½
Rating: R
Length: 114 minutes
Director: Andrew Piddington (The Dinosaur Hunters; Supersleuth)
Writer: Andrew Piddington (The Dinosaur Hunters; Supersleuth)
Starring: Jonas Ball, Sofia Dubrawksy, Tom Zolandz, Mie Omori, Krisha Fairchild, Richard Sherman

I watched “Chapter 27” last week- the other movie about the night John Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman- and complained in my review that while Jared Leto gave an outstanding performance as Chapman, the movie didn’t give us anything to learn about him as a person. Watching “The Killing of John Lennon” I figured out why. There wasn’t too much to learn about him to begin with and what there was, wasn’t that interesting. Chapman, in both of these films, is exactly as I have always imagined him- lonely, crazy, and starved for notoriety. “The Killing of John Lennon” is the weaker of the two films because, well, it gave me exactly what I asked for- more information on Chapman. He’s played here by a relatively unknown actor named Jonas Ball. Ball drops the heavy Southern accent Leto used in the other film and plays Chapman rather blandly. Leto became the man, Ball gives us a performance and to be quite honest, not a very good one. It was a bold (or maybe cheaper) move to go with a no-name for the lead, but it’s not like Ball was overflowing with talent. The reason I stated I wanted to know more about Chapman in the “Chapter 27” review was because Leto’s performance made me want to. Ball, on the other hand, seems to be too bored to play him. He doesn’t portray him as a crazy or sane person- he just, well, plays him (if that makes any sense). The plot lines between the two films are obviously pretty identical, except the two major supporting characters from “Chapter 27”- Lennon groupie Jude Stein (played in that film by Lindsay Lohan) and photographer Paul Goresh- are largely absent. Stein (played here by Sofia Dubrawsky) gets about one or two scene- ditto Goresh (Tom Zolandz). So we are left with, like most of “Chapter 27”, a whole lot of alone time with Chapman and since the guy is so presented as so dull and predictable, it is one boring watch. In “Chapter 27”’s case, more would have better to make a better film. In “The Killing of John Lennon”’s case perhaps nothing at all would have been better.

Download Soundtrack MP3:
Tina Charles- I Love to Love (right click “save as”)

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THE TEN (2007)

THE TEN
**½
Rating: R
Length: 96 minutes
Director: David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer; “The State”)
Writers: David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer; “The State”) and Ken Marino (“The State”)
Starring: Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba, Paul Rudd, Adam Brody, Gretchen Mol, Justin Theroux, Famke Janssen, Leiv Schreiber, Janeane Garafolo, Thomas Lennon, Michael Ian Black, Kerri Kenney, Oliver Platt, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, Ron Silver, A.D. Miles, David Wain, Zak Orth, Joe Lo Truglio, Todd Holoubek, Rob Corddry, Ali Marsh, Rashida Jones, Peter Salett, Craig Wedren

While a couple of key members of MTV’s infamous ‘90’s comedy troupe The State went on to achieve well deserved stardom through Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!”, the other members have been working on projects that they hope will get them the same sort of notoriety. In 2001, David Wain, The State member who directed the majority of the episodes, made “Wet Hot American Summer” based on a script he and fellow State alumni Michael Showalter wrote that spoofed ‘80’s summer camp movies. It earned a spot on “Entertainment Weekly”’s Top Ten Best Movies of the Year and has since developed a strong cult following. Wain, Showalter, and another State brother (though you may know him best from VH1’s “I Love the ‘80’s or ‘90’s” or whatever) Michael Ian Black followed the movie up with the brilliant, but short lived Comedy Central sitcom “Stella” (way too clever for it’s own good unfortunately- seriously underappreciated). Now, after seven long years, Wain has finally brought us another feature film. Unfortunately, it doesn’t even come close to the brilliance of “Wet Hot American Summer” or even “Stella”. Not to say that it doesn’t have it’s moments, parts of the movie are absolutely hilarious, but as a whole it’s hard not to say that it’s a giant let down. The premise is perfect for Wain and his State pals- ten sketches based on the Ten Commandments. I mean, these guys mastered the sketch format. They set the bar for them and yet, somehow, this movie seems like a pale version of some “State” sketches- the few that didn’t really work- you know, they still made you chuckle, but you could take solace in the fact that one of the upcoming sketches would make up for it. Those “make up” sketches are too far and between in “The Ten”. Perhaps the biggest problem lies in the need to have a linear storyline in between the sketches involving Paul Rudd and a love triangle involving his wife (Famke Janssen) and his mistress (Jessica Alba- who’s not as bad here as the critics have said, she has good comic timing when she tries). When a sketch does work- especially the Winona Ryder/puppet one (Ryder gives one of her all time best performances here)- the movie is brought to a screeching halt when it comes back to Rudd and his “girl” problems. They aren’t necessary. The movie could have been much more successful with just the ten set of skits and maybe a black screen with white letters introducing them. Nothing against Rudd, Janssen, or Alba, but their bits kill the movie, and it’s especially obvious after the skits that fall flat (the competing neighbors bit for example). Maybe I was just too stoked for this due to my love for “Wet Hot”, I don’t know. It just didn’t live up to expectations. When you have a sketch movie that is being presented to you by the Monty Pythons of our generation and it doesn’t make you cry laughing, then there just has to be something wrong. Thou shall not underachieve.

Download Soundtrack MP3:
Peter Salett- The End of the End of the Ten (right click “save as”)

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AN AMERICAN CRIME (2007)

AN AMERICAN CRIME
**
Rating: R
Length: 92 minutes
Director: Tommy O’Haver (Ella Enchanted; Get Over It)
Writer: Tommy O’Haver (Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss; The Pitch) and Irene Turner
Starring: Ellen Page, Catherine Keener, James Franco, Bradley Whitford, Scout Taylor-Compton, Ari Graynor, Nick Searcy, Hayley McFarland, Evan Oeters

“An American Crime” is based on the true story of the murder of a teenage girl named Sylvia Likens (Ellen Page). Sylvia and her sister Jennie (Hayley MacFarland) were left by their carnie parents (Nick Searcy, Romy Rosemont) under the care of a neighbor they barely knew named Gertrude Baniszweksi (Catherine Keener). Baniszweksi reasons with the Likens- she all ready has seven children, what’s two more going to hurt? Plus, she’ll be sent twenty dollars a week for her services (this takes place in 1965 in an Indianapolis suburb). Baniszweksi takes an instant disliking to the pretty and intelligent Sylvia and after some misunderstandings involving Baniszweksi’s own teenager daughter, Paula (Ari Graynor), in which Sylvia only had good intentions- Gertrude locks Sylvia in the basement without food or water. She also lets her own children burn her with cigarettes and beat her. She allows a local boy (Evan Oeters) who Sylvia politely declined romantic advances from to “brand” her. Sylvia’s sister is scared sick and is afraid to do anything. When she talks to her parents, she is too frightened to tell them everything. They promise they will be back soon, but the days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months- and by then it is too late. It’s not hard to tell that “An American Crime” is not the most cheerful movie you will ever watch. The subject matter is highly disturbing, particularly since it is based on true events (and according to my girlfriend, who read a book on it, the movie follows the events very faithfully). The problem is that the movie is presented in a normal Lifetime movie manner. Director Tommy O’Haver, who’s prior screen credits include teeny bopper flicks “Ella Enchanted” and “Get Over It”, isn’t capable enough to bring the intensity that the film requires. He makes it unsettling, sure, but he just presents it. He doesn’t go deep into the story or the characters. Baniszweksi is a fascinating character- she denies ever torturing Sylvia in court and didn’t admit it until she was on her death bed- yet, O’Haver presents her strictly as a horror movie villain and Keener, one of the best actresses in the business, tries her best, but even she seems to know that her director isn’t confident in what he wants to present. Page turns in a good performance as usual, but the majority of her screen time is spent lying on the basement floor crying and pleading for help. There is a way to make a film like this watchable, compelling, and a true study of how a human mind can cross over into the brink of insanity. O’Haver had the perfect cast and the perfect story, he just should have let someone else tell it to us.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
? and the Mysterians- 96 Tears
Petula Clark- Downtown

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DANNY ROANE: FIRST TIME DIRECTOR (2006)

DANNY ROANE: FIRST TIME DIRECTOR
***
Rating: R
Length: 83 minutes
Director: Andy Dick (“The Andy Dick Show”)
Writer: Andy Dick (“The Andy Dick Show”)
Starring: Andy Dick, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, James Van Der Beek, Jimmy Kimmel, Frankie Muniz, Maura Tierney, Bob Odenkirk, Mo Collins, Danny Trejo, Anthony Rapp, Kate Flannery, Kevin Farley, Bob Bancroft, Debra Wilson

You either get Andy Dick’s style of humor or you don’t. It was the same way with Tom Green. To me, personally, they are both comedic geniuses- and the odd thing about it is that MTV gave them their best moments. As many times as Dick has been stuck playing second fiddle in some sitcom (“Newsradio” aside where he was brilliant- though that is spoofed dead on here) or having a forced cameo/small part in a dopey comedy, he never got to let his true comedic chops show like he did with the absolute genius “The Andy Dick Show”. Sadly and quite unfairly, it is not available to purchase on DVD (or out on the torrent sites either), but those of you who remember it’s brief and brilliant run know what I’m talking about. I’d stack up some of his skits against anything- particularly the “orphan work camp” one and the Ben Stiller interview on Andy’s “Anus & Andy Show” in which Andy interviewed Ben with a puppet shaped like an asshole. If you haven’t seen it, you may be scratching your head, but trust me it was top notch. Andy Kaufman would have been proud. Since MTV doesn’t know a good thing when it’s got it (“The State”, “Cartoon Sushi”, “Austin Stories”, “The Tom Green Show”, I could go on and on…), the show was dropped and Dick has been forced to joining some short lived sitcoms and having roles in such flicks as Jessica Simpson’s recent dud “Blonde Ambition”. A real shame and waste, though I was happy when my buddy Keith and I stumbled across “Danny Roane: First Time Director” at Blockbuster the other day. Somehow- both of us being Andy fans- had never heard of it and it was his first foray into writing and directing a feature film (naturally, it didn’t have a theatrical debut). The movie is told in mockumentary style- a format that Dick realizes is getting old and he uses that to his advantage- it’s almost a spoof of a spoof. Dick more or less plays himself- Danny Roane- a washed up “former” alcoholic/junkie sitcom star who has decided to write and direct his first feature film and just for fun to have a documentary crew follow him around during the process. The film, which has “Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek in the Danny Roane role, is supposed to be about Roane’s rise and fall and rise up again. However, Roane begins to fall off the wagon and the film begins to turn into an oddball pro-Hitler musical (take that Mel Brooks!). In one of the film’s funniest sequences, Dick explains to his cast the changes and everyone objects except Van Der Beek who applauds the decision. Dick promptly dismisses him from the film for agreeing with him. Ben Stiller and Jack Black also turn up in hilarious cameos. Stiller as one of Roane’s former sitcom co-stars who is now a major movie star and doesn’t even remember who Roane is. The movie is in the true tradition of Dick’s sitcom and is surreal and brilliant in every way possible- that being said, if you are a fan of traditional comedy (i.e. the latest Adam Sandler/Jim Carrey schtick), you may think this is the stupidest thing you’ve ever seen. If you, however, prefer a good “Mr. Show” skit to anything on “Saturday Night Live”, then this is the movie for you.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
The Velvet Teen- Radiapathy
Exile Parade- Love Disco (right click “save as”)

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MADE OF HONOR (2008)

MADE OF HONOR
**
Rating: PG-13
Length: 101minutes
Director: Paul Weiland (City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold; Leonard Part 6)
Writers: Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan (Can’t Hardly Wait; A Very Brady Sequel), and Harry Elfont (Can’t Hardly Wait; A Very Brady Sequel)
Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Sydney Pollack, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan, Kadeem Harrison, Chris Messina, Richmond Arquette, Busy Phillips, Kelly Carlson, Mary Birdsong, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Whitney Cummings, Emily Nelson, Kevin Sussman

“Made of Honor” is “My Best Friend’s Wedding” with the roles in reverse. Instead of the female being in love with her male best friend, now it’s the male best friend in love with the female. In both cases, right when they are about to profess their love to the other, they find out their friend is getting impulsively married! With all the bank “My Best Friend’s Wedding” made, it’s surprising that this idea didn’t come around sooner. Maybe they were just waiting for Patrick Dempsey’s comeback? Dempsey stars as Tom. In the beginning of the film, he is a horny college kid who stumbles into the wrong bed. He meets Hannah (Michelle Monaghan- whom I thought was Liv Tyler for the entire film). She calls him sexist, he calls her uptight. An instant life long friendship is formed and they don’t sleep together. They end up laughing about the incident and watching Tom’s actual date barf. Flash forward a good amount of years and Tom and Hannah are inseparable. It’s perfect for Tom. He sleeps with as many girls as he wants, has a strict set of rules that prevents him from being in a relationship, and gets to hang out with the beautiful, smart, and fun Hannah in his off-time (somehow Hannah has managed to stay off the market herself). Of course, he loves her, but doesn’t know it. He invites her to his father’s (the great Sydney Pollack- what are you doing in this movie?) sixth wedding and we find that Hannah is definitely in love with Tom (how a male and a female could hang out this long without admitting their love to each other or some kind of slip up occurring is simply impossible, but I’ll let it slide because they’re be no movie if that were the case). Hannah’s job sends her to Scotland for six weeks and Tom falls apart. He admits to his friends that he loves Hannah and is going to tell her so first thing when she gets back. Of course, when she returns she has a new fiancée at her side- the dashing Scottish Duke Colin (“Trainspotting”’s Kevin McKidd). To add insult to injury, Hannah asks Tom to be her “Made of Honor”. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where things are going to go from here and how things are going to end up. So why bother? I don’t know. Is it possible the romantic-comedy genre is finally starting to have every single ounce of originality drained from it? I believe so. But as long as they keep making them, girls will keep dragging guys to them. Even though the typical romantic-comedy fan has seen this type of movie two dozen times, odds are they will still love it. You could do worse, but then again, you could certainly do better. Some people just want that happy ending, even it means going on repeat every time.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Sara Bareilles- Love Song
Smash Mouth- Walkin’ On the Sun (right click “save as”)

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MOUTH TO MOUTH (2006)

MOUTH TO MOUTH
(No Stars)
Rating: R
Length: 101 minutes
Director: Alison Murphy (Train on the Brain)
Writer: Alison Murphy
Starring: Ellen Page, Jim Sturgess, Eric Thal, Natasha Wightman, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos, August Diehl, Diana Greenwood, Beatrice Brown

After my girlfriend and I watched “Juno”, she started teasing me about having a crush on Ellen Page. I realized half way through “Mouth to Mouth” that this was, in fact, true. Why else, I reasoned, would I still be sitting through such an terrible and repulsive film? Filmed before “Hard Candy”, but released after all the attention Page started to get for her performance in "Candy", “Mouth to Mouth” came along like one of those Jim Carrey discount bin DVDs that flooded all the Wal-marts after he hit big (“Rubberface” anyone?). Despite all the acclaim I have read about Page’s performance here, it really isn’t anything to write home about. Had “Hard Candy” not been released and her career was to be judged on this film alone, we might have seen someone like Kristen Stewart as Juno MacGuff. I can’t recall a more poorly directed and edited movie in recent memory. Not to mention full of completely unlikable, un-relatable, and more importantly false characters. Some of the reviews I have come across have compared the film to “The Beach”, but with homeless teenagers as the stars. Fair enough, except even with all the detractors “The Beach” had, at least that film was interesting and provocative. “Mouth to Mouth” has some kind of message and it doesn’t know how to present it, much less present cohesive scenes that flow in order to tell it's story. Characters go from punching each other in the mouths to hugging and laughing moments later with no explanation. Characters are introduced and then disappear for long spells, only to return when they are needed as slack-jawed spectators. Page stars as a confused teenage runaway named Bat in Eastern Europe. She meets an attractive young punk named Tiger (August Diehl) one day and he invites her to a meeting for a group named Sparks. Sparks is run by an American cult leader named Harry (Eric Thal), who encourages these teenage lost souls to reform their lives and to live off the land and be better people. This means traveling in a beat down van throughout Europe searching for the perfect Utopia spot. On the way helping it’s drug addled members kick the habit and digging through dumpsters for food and clothing. Bat, at first is hesitant, but she, as cult’s often do, is taken under the wing of it’s leader and convinced that this “new lifestyle” is what will be best for her. Meanwhile, Bat’s mom (Natasha Wightman) is searching for her daughter throughout the rave scene. Bat, apparently, didn’t have it too bad. Mom isn’t too bad off wealth wise and just wants her daughter back. She stumbles across the group when they finally reach their “Utopia” spot and suddenly she, too, falls under Harry’s spell. As things progress, Bat and a few of the others begin to see that there are severe flaws to this perfect world and lifestyle, but can’t seem to find a way out. After all, where else can they go? The idea for the film itself isn’t all together terrible. In capable hands, it could really have been a fantastic film. Murphy’s handling of it is so clumsy that it’s a hard watch. She doesn’t seem to have any affection for her characters, so why should we? Page gives glimpses of her talent, but she is stuck mugging around mostly and giving reaction shots and a few scenes where she gets into shouting matches with her mom. The rest of the oddball Sparks members do a lot of goofy “outrageous” bits and are sometimes punished, including Red (“Across the Universe” and “21”’s Jim Sturgess) who is forced to eat a handful of hot peppers after breaking into the wine cellar. When I first met my buddy Keith when I started working at Blue Cross, we got to talking about our favorite films. I brought up “Natural Born Killers” and Keith shuddered and told me that movie made him “want to take a bath” after he got done watching it. I never knew how he felt until after I got done watching “Mouth to Mouth”. This is one awful film.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Azure Ray- No Sign of Pain
The Stranglers- Nice and Sleazy

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CHAPTER 27 (2008)

CHAPTER 27
**
Rating: R
Length: 84 minutes
Director: J.P. Schaefer
Writer: J.P. Schaefer
Starring: Jared Leto, Lindsay Lohan, Judah Friedlander, Mark Lindsay Chapman, Melissa Demyan, Molly Griffith, Matthew Humphreys, Mariko Takai, Lauren Milberger

The voice over narration at the beginning of “Chapter 27” pretty much sets us up for the rest of the film. Jared Leto, doing what at first comes across as a “Saturday Night Live” worthy voice impersonation of Mark David Chapman, informs us that he is going to tell his story, however he “ain’t gonna bother talking about how he grew up or his folks or nuthin’”. There in lies one of the major problems of the film, but at least it has the gall to tell us so in the first five minutes. If you’re looking for any sort of in depth analysis on Chapman- the man who infamously gunned down John Lennon for no reason- you’re watching the wrong film. In true, “Armageddon”/”Deep Impact” or “Capote”/”Infamous” form, another Chapman film was made around the same time called “The Killing of John Lennon”. I have that film on my waiting list and am hoping to learn a little more about the man himself through that. It’s hard to imagine that film has a better lead though. Once Leto gets moving, the parody element begins to fade away and he does truly disappear into the character. As you probably know from all the tabloid shots that were taken during the filming of the movie, he gained a good amount of weight for the role. He doesn’t look like “something beautiful” like he did in “Fight Club”- he looks and acts like Mark David Chapman. It’s a shame the movie doesn’t give him much to do with it. The majority of the action takes place with Chapman waiting in front of Lennon’s apartment for the legend himself (Mark Lindsay Chapman) to appear. He talks to himself a lot, mainly I suppose because there aren’t a lot of other characters in the film. He has inter-conflicts on whether he should kill Lennon or not. After he finally meets Lennon and gets his autograph, he has a moment of clarity that maybe what he plans on doing isn’t such a great idea after all. He lives in Hawaii and he had made a prior visit to New York and assassination attempt a few months earlier. He knows all the doormen’s names. It’s by tragic coincidence that on the fateful day Lennon was killed, there was a new doorman on duty who wasn’t aware that Chapman was a little off balance. Then, of course, there’s Lindsay Lohan’s character, Jude. Jude is a groupie who spends most of her time with a fellow Lennon fan (Melissa Demyan) waiting for Lennon too. She knows Lennon’s manager, nanny, and even baby Sean (giving us the film’s creepiest moment when she introduces Chapman to the child and they shake hands). Lohan, believe it or not, actually gives a decent performance (granted, she is given little screen time). “Chapter 27”, like it’s rival “The Killing of John Lennon”, have both been protested by Yoko Ono (played here by Mariko Takai) and Beatles fans in fear that they may portray Chapman in a sympathetic light (Ono, herself, still refuses to call Chapman by his name). They should have nothing to worry about. Even though Leto gives one of his best career performances, the film itself will probably be destined to be forgotten. Not exactly the notoriety Chapman himself was asking for.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Rich Price- Fall Into Me (right click “save as”)
Chuck Berry- Run Run Rudolph

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THE SIMPSONS MOVIE (2007)

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE
***
Rating: PG-13
Length: 87 minutes
Director: David Silverman (Monsters Inc.; “The Simpsons”)
Writers: James L. Brooks (As Good As It Gets; Terms of Endearment), Matt Groening (“The Simpsons”; “Futurama”), Al Jean (“The Simpsons”; “The Critic”), Ian Maxtone-Graham (“The Simpsons”; “Saturday Night Live”), George Meyer (“The Simpsons”; “Saturday Night Live”), David Mirkin (“The Simpsons”; “Newhart”), Mike Reiss (“The Simpsons”; “The Critic”), Mike Scully (“The Simpsons”; “Everybody Loves Raymond), Matt Selman (“The Simpsons”; “Seinfeld”), John Swartzwelder (“The Simpsons”; “Saturday Night Live”), Jon Vitti (“The Simpsons”; Alvin and the Chipmunks)
Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Albert Brooks, Tom Hanks, Joe Mantegna, Green Day, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, Marcia Wallace, Russi Taylor

I came home sick from work today and tried to make it through two movies while resting up. I wasn’t exactly trying to stay awake, per say, but I was looking for something to get my mind off being ill. I passed out during my first two choices and decided that if I was going to fall asleep, I might as well put on something that I had seen before that would be pleasant to nod off to. I put on “The Simpsons Movie” for what has to be my fourth or fifth viewing and found myself awake for the entire thing. When it was over, I even felt a little better. Is the movie the cure for the common cold? Nah, but it sure helps. I’d be lying if I said to you that after my first screening of the film that I wasn’t slightly let down. I still thought it was a great movie, but like most “Simpsons” fans, I couldn’t help but wonder how super great it would have been had it been made during the series’ heyday back in the early ‘90’s. Watching the film today, I realized that it was silly to think that way. The film is, for the time of it’s release, is worthy. If you still watch the series, (most of the fans I know still do, thanks mainly to the magic of TiVo), you’ll know that despite what you hear, it’s still one of the funniest shows on television. It will never be back on the level it was in it’s prime, but for it to be on as long as it has and to still be delivering is saying a lot. To make a motion picture that is as entertaining as this while the series is still continuing is nothing short of amazing. Sure, it’s tamer than “Family Guy”, which seems to has taken it’s place as the edgy animated series of the moment. Yet, it’s more tactful and has more of a heart. There’s a reason the “Simpsons” movie got a theatrical release and the “Family Guy” one went straight to DVD (though admittedly it was pretty damned funny too). More people can identify with the Simpson family. It’s funny that when the show first came out, I remember kids at school that weren’t allowed to watch it. Churches protested it because they deemed Bart a bad role model for kids. Now, decades later and it seems to have taken a 180. I read somewhere recently that some church rated it the most “morale” show on television. Times sure have changed haven’t they? Yet, we can rely on the “Simpsons” every year and it looks like they aren’t slowing down anytime soon (Fox has said they’ll run it as long as the creators want to keep it going). When the end credits of the film roll and the Simpsons family come back onscreen and sit in the aisle in front of the screen and Maggie says “sequel”, it always makes me smile. I can’t wait. Hopefully, it won’t take as long.

Download Soundtrack MP3s:
Danny Elfman- The Simpsons Theme
Hans Zimmer- Spider Pig

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HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY (2008)

HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY
*½
Rating: R
Length: 102 minutes
Directors: Jon Hurwtiz and Hayden Schlossberg
Writers: Jon Hurwitz (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) and Hayden Schlossberg (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle)
Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris, Beverly D’Angelo, David Krumholtz, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Roger Bart, Rob Corddry, Danneel Harris, Eric Winter, Paula Garces, Missi Pyle

I didn’t see the appeal in the first “Harold & Kumar”. Sorry. I thought I would love it. It had the makings of a cult classic (which it did, in it’s own goofy way, become), but failed to connect with me. I just didn’t find it very funny. It had it’s moments, I won’t deny that, I just couldn’t see what the big deal was about (one of my friends was extremely and I mean extremely into the movie- and he had never smoked pot before). The sequel is a downward slope from the first film. If you didn’t like “White Castle”, I wouldn’t even bother. Put it this way, despite the first movie’s popularity and profit that it delivered in the DVD market, this was still going to be a direct-to-DVD release until the studio heads changed their minds. I’m guessing that one of the reasons so many “people” (and by this I mean “stoners”) identified with the first film was that, despite it’s obvious over-the-top moments, it was still a bit slated in reality. Sure, you wouldn’t expect Neil Patrick Harris to role up to you, snorting blow and hanging out with prostitutes (particularly since his announcement that he was a homosexual after the first movie’s release) or many of the other oddball events of the first film, but for a “stoner” comedy, it was about as real as the “Cheech & Chong” epics were (Sorry- also hugely overrated as well). This movie has the duo being mistaken for terrorists on a plane to Amsterdam, escaping from a Guantanamo Bay prison (very easily might I add and briefly too, despite the title), running into Neil Patrick Harris again (who apparently is over his infatuation with dudes), and sky diving into George W. Bush’s (James Adomian) house, where they smoke out with him and use his presidential security to break up the wedding of Kumar (Kal Penn)’s ex-girlfriend (Danneel Harris). The jokes are all on the level of the “battle shit” gag of the first film. The opening scene, in fact, opens with Kumar going number two while Harold (John Cho) takes a shower. There’s also a scene where the two end up at a party where it’s mandatory to go “bottomless” (any female that has ever complained that girls can show everything in movies and guys can’t have to be eating their words these days). John Cho and Kal Penn have proven that they can both be appealing actors. Penn can’t seem to land the right gig (though I’ve heard he is excellent in “The Namesake”), but he flashes charm in what he’s given. Cho, on the other hand, seems to be destined for better. Despite the playing the rather youthful Harold here, he is actually thirty six years old. You get the feeling that he has to feel like he could be doing something a little better with his career.

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Mark Ronson (Ft. Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife, & Saigon) - Ooh Wee
Mickey Avalon- My Dick (Right Click and “Save As”)

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THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS (2008)

THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS
***
Rating: R
Length: 77 minutes
Director: Bruce McDonald (“Degrassi: The Next Generation”; Hardcore Logo)
Writer: Maureen Medved
Starring: Ellen Page, Ryan Cooley, Slim Twig, Julian Richings, Ari Cohen, Kate Todd, Zie Souwand, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos

“The Tracey Fragments” is going to drag in the fair majority of it’s audience through it’s star, Ellen Page. She of “Juno” acclaim- Academy Award nomination and all. That audience is likely to be baffled and off put. Here is a truly experimental and ambitious film about the tortures of adolescence and the guilt that can come along with mistakes made through the sure happenstance of being young and naïve. It’s the type of movie that demands multiple viewings to make sense of it all and will de dissected by the cult following that it’s more than likely to develop. Odd, considering it’s director’s most public work has been through directing episodes of the popular Canadian teen soap “Degrassi- The Next Generation”- a show, that granted takes on some pretty serious topics, but is still not exactly for the intellectual crowd (I’ll admit it’s an insanely guilty pleasure). He, being Bruce McDonald, has also directed a couple of cult ’90’s indie films- one being the rock mockumentary “Hardcore Logo” and the other a sweet and weird road trip romantic-comedy about a barber and a groupie on the run from the devil called “Highway 61” (one of the first VHS tapes I ever owned- check the movie out if you can find a copy of it). Neither of those films, nor obviously the “Degrassi” episodes, hinted at the talent that he shows here. The movie is comprised 99% of it’s way in multiple fragments on the screen. It’s all over the place. It’s not exactly interested in giving a linear plot or a flowing explanation of what’s happening. I ended up watching it a few times and although it made sense the first time around, it’s impossible not to catch and absorb more of the story the more you watch it (think Mike Figgis’ “Timecode”, but all over the place). Page stars as 15 year old Tracey Berkowitz. The beginning of the film (or the end depending on which way you look at it) finds her in the back of a public bus, naked, except for a shower curtain wrapped around her. She is looking for her missing brother, Sonny (Zie Souwand), whom she has taught to bark like a dog. The disappearance has put Tracey’s life into complete disarray. We get the feeling that she had trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy to begin with and that maybe this has pushed her over the edge. She talks to herself, reasons that her brother has to be somewhere. She has a “rock star” boyfriend named Billy Zero (Slim Twig), who may or may not be real. She has a psychiatrist (Julian Richings), who also might be a figment of her imagination, and seems to do little to help. She has a home life that is in shambles and full of tension since the younger brother’s disappearance. Scenes of the times prior to the disappearance don’t appear to be any better. The movie is sure to be overanalyzed by some, brushed off by others as “too pretentious” (which, to be honest, it does have pretentious moments), and adopted by a few that probably won’t understand it, but love it anyway. It’s not exactly an easy watch, but Page puts off all those naysayers that say she has limited range. She delivers a powerhouse performance here. Had it not been for a strong lead, the movie could have fallen in on itself. She makes it work and her appeal opens up the film to being accessible enough to be intriguing (if that makes any sense). It’s worlds away from “Juno” and “Degrassi”- Tracey herself isn’t even sure what world it is to begin with and yet by the end of the film, when the picture comes into one frame, somehow she figures it out. The challenge for the viewer is whether or not they can too.

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Broken Social Scene- hHallmark
Rose Melberg- Each New Day

Find Showtimes Here (Release Date: 05/09/08)
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21 (2008)

21
**
Rating: PG-13
Length: 123 minutes
Director: Robert Luketic (Monster-in-Law; Legally Blonde)
Writers: Peter Steinfeld (Be Cool; Analyze That) and Allan Loeb (Things We Lost in the Fire; The Only Living Boy in New York)
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Bosworth, Jim Sturgess, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, Jack MacGee, Josh Gad, Sam Golzari, Helen Carey, Jack Gilpin, Jeffrey Ma, Spencer Garrett

When my girlfriend told me the real life story of Jeffrey Ma- the MIT student who along with several of his friends figured out a card counting trick that was able to take numerous casinos for a ton of money- I thought it would make one hell of an interesting movie. It probably still would. “21”, unfortunately, is not that movie. As I was informed as the end credits started to roll and I glanced over at Sarah (my girlfriend) and gave her the “what the hell?” look, the real story was not portrayed in this film. Instead, we get a standard genre pic about the good guy who has a gift, is reluctant to use it, uses it, lets it go to his head, loses everything, and then comes back down to earth to put it all back together again. Jeffrey Ma is changed into Ben Campbell (played by the remarkably boring Jim Sturgess) - an MIT student who leads a dull life. He works at a clothing story for $8 an hour, is designing a robot with his nerdy friends, and dreams of getting into Harvard. One of his professors, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey- hamming it up), notices Ben’s big brain in class one day and invites him in on a secret scam he’s operating. He runs a card counting scheme with a group of his students. Rosa used to play himself, but retired after he was nearly caught by a violent security “guard” (Laurence Fishburne). Ben is reluctant to join at first, but is lured in by his crush on member Jill (Kate Bosworth). Of course, he begins to help the team win big, starts to ignore his friends, lets it all go to his head, forgets the… well, everything I stated earlier. What should have been an extremely interesting glimpse into the world of scams in gambling is as dull as Ben’s earlier life. Director Robert Luketic’s past films have included “Legally Blonde” and “Monster-in-Law”. He handles action and suspense very clumsily. There is no tension or build up when it is required and the movie becomes so by the books that the “surprise” ending is hardly a surprise at all. Jeffrey Ma himself appears as a casino dealer. Too bad they didn’t get a chance to tell his real story. Now that would have been one hell of a movie.

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The Rolling Stones- You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Soulwax Remix)
LCD Soundsystem- Big Ideas

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EXPELLED : NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED (2008)

EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED
(No Stars)
Rating: PG
Length: 90 minutes
Director: Nathan Frankowski
Writers: Ben Stein, Kevin Miller (After…) and Walt Ruloff
Starring: Ben Stein, Richard Dawkins, Caroline Crocker

Wow. I don’t even know where to start. For all of you Michael Moore haters out there that believe he makes completely biased one sided documentaries, nothing he has made comes even remotely close to how close minded and bullying “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” is. I had a conversation with my buddy Keith about the film prior to it opening. We are both interested in how the world came to be and our opinions slightly differ when it comes to evolution, so we both thought that this film would do a decent job of providing both sides of the story when it comes to evolution vs. intelligent design. Nope. Not even close. Instead, the movie has Ben Stein- a man that is famous solely for his bit part in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (Don’t worry, he cashes in on his catch phrase before the movie is over)- bullying and ridiculing anyone that disagrees with his opinion on how man came to be. He compares Darwin to Hitler- even adding in archival footage of the Holocaust to boot! Stein, in turn, due to his “brave” attempts to spread the word of intelligent design compares himself to Ronald Regan destroying the Berlin Wall- also complete with archival footage that cuts back and forth between him and Regan. What kind of ego trip is this guy on? If he hadn’t have had a monotone minute and a half clip in a 1980’s John Hughes comedy, he wouldn’t even have been lucky enough to land those Clear Eyes commercials. The movie does start off like it wants to be on equal footing. I went into it expecting the movie to lean more towards intelligent design- after all most docs are one sided whether they want to admit it or not, but none have ever been more so than this. After a few scenes where Stein claims religion has nothing to do with it and that he just wants believers in intelligent design to be heard and understood, he starts to interview intellectuals and bash them and humiliate them because they favor Darwinism. When famed philosopher Richard Dawkins is interviewed and Stein asks him what he believes the chances of the Christian God existing are, Dawkins says he believes “in his opinion” that there is a “99% percent” chance that there is none. Stein laughs in his face and retorts with the highly clever, “Why not forty nine percent?” Dawkins squirms uncomfortably in his chair and Stein gives him a smarmy look that basically says “you’re a moron for not believing in what I believe in” (this after Dawkins admits that “intelligent design” is a possible theory in a very kind manner). I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover and I can tell you that the point of Christianity is not to belittle others. The biggest problem with the film is that it doesn’t even explain it’s case properly. It’s so worried with the push back intelligent design is getting, that it fails to inform us why we should believe in it to begin with (at least adequately in my opinion). I can’t remember the last time I saw a film that made me so mad. “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” is the cinematic equivalent of the bully at school that dips the heads of the “nerds” in the toilet for being all “good at math and stuff”. It should also be noted that the majority of the pro-Darwinism interviewers were lied to about what the film was about and the film was edited to make them sound exactly how the filmmakers wanted them to. The crowd that Stein lectures to at the beginning and ending of the film (the ones that stand up and clap and holler like Stein just gave the Gettysburg Address) were also paid to do so- having no idea or strong belief on why they were there to begin with. The filmmakers also went on to make a fuss when it wasn’t reviewed on critic Richard Roeper’s syndicated movie review program (the one that features Roger Ebert when he’s healthy). Roeper’s response after finally seeing it “What a load of crap”. I couldn’t agree more. I’ll sit and listen to intelligent design theories all day and have a mature and gentlemanly debate with anyone. I won’t, however, smile and look on as someone compares someone else to Hitler for differing in a belief on how man was created and changed throughout the times. If you stand behind what you believe in then what’s wrong with presenting in it in an honest and adult like fashion? Save the name calling and mud slinging for the schoolyard.

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The Killers- All These Things That I’ve Done
Johnny Cash- Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode cover)

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THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE (2008)

THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE
*½
Rating: PG-13
Length: 90 minutes
Director: Tom Putnam (Red White Black & Blue; Broadcast 23)
Writer: Heidi Ferrer (“Dawson’s Creek”)
Starring: Paris Hilton, Christine Lakin, Joel David Moore, Adam Kulbersh, The Greg Wilson, Johann Urb, Kathryn Fiore

Somehow over the past month I’ve managed to watch not one, but two Paris Hilton starring vehicles. The sad part is that this second one, “The Hottie and the Nottie” is an improvement over the first, “Bottoms Up”, but that’s like saying one week old expired milk is better than two week old expired milk. Infamously in and out of the theaters faster than you could say “Blonde Ambition”, the movie all ready has the esteemed pleasure of being #4 on the Internet Movie Database’s Bottom 100 Movies of All Time List. Is it worth that ranking? Of course not. I could think of many, many other movies that are worse than this. It’s a bad film, don’t get me wrong, but you know most of the voters probably gave it the one star mark just because of it’s star (Hilton, to be fair, is extremely wooden and uncharismatic as the lead). The movie is kind of a low budget re-working of “There’s Something About Mary”, but with the “ugly” sidekick bit added in. Joel David Moore gets the Ben Stiller role as failed musician Nate Cooper. Not only is he unsuccessful in his profession, his love life is also a mess. After another nasty break up, he comes to terms with the fact that’s he never gotten over his elementary school crush, Cristabelle Abbott (Hilton). He tracks her down and finds that she is still attached to the hip with her best friend from the elementary days, the repulsive June Phigg (“Step by Step”’s Christine Lakin)- hence the title of the movie. Cristabelle remembers Nate and confesses that she has a crush on him. The problem is she made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t get involved in another relationship until June found one of her own. This leads to a series of unfunny bits where Nate and his best friend (comedian The Greg Wilson- never heard of the guy. Guess he fancies himself important enough to merit a “The” before his name though) try to set up a poor sap (Adam Kulbersh) with June. Naturally as the movie plows along to it’s painful ninety minute mark, Nate starts to realize that maybe June is the real “Hottie” after all. Of course, this doesn’t happen until after she gets a huge make over and a stud boyfriend (Johann Urb). As much as Hilton is an untalented actress, her getting the heat for this being a bad flick isn’t fair. She doesn’t help, but everyone had to know that this one was dead in the water before it even went into production. Yeah, it was in and out of the theaters in a blink of the eye- how it ever got in there to begin with says a lot about the current state of cinema.

Download Soundtrack MP3s (Right click and “Save As”):
Castaneda- Cyanide
The Skies of America- She’s That Kind of Girl

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SMART PEOPLE (2008)

SMART PEOPLE
**
Rating: R
Length: 95 minutes
Director: Noam Murro (Human Capital)
Writer: Mark Poirier
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ashton Holmes, Christine Lahti, Camille Mana, David Denman

“Smart People” is a movie we’ve all seen before. It’s not a remake of any sort, but the characters, the actions, the dilemmas- they are all borrowed from other, better movies. I thought about Curtis Hanson’s brilliant “Wonder Boys” afterwards and imagined that this movie had set that film as it’s high mark. It doesn’t quite get there. Why? It’s puzzling. The film does have a great cast- Dennis Quaid is excellent, Thomas Haden Church brings the comic relief, and Ellen Page, fresh from her “Juno” acclaim, portrays a character that could have be Juno in a few more years minus all those baby issues and weird clothing. But despite it’s unoriginality, one of the movie’s biggest flaws is it’s female lead- Sarah Jessica Parker. She was a wonderful Carrie Bradshaw on HBO’s “Sex and the City”, yet for whatever reason she hasn’t been able to pull off an adequate screen performance since she was Steve Martin’s bimbo mistress in 1991’s “L.A. Story”. This film, fragile enough, becomes even more unglued every time she appears onscreen. A scene in which she is greeted, rather unkindly, by Page’s character (Quaid’s daughter in the film) is a pure example, as Page seems to blow her off the screen without even trying. It’s a flaw because her character is essential in making the picture work. She is the outsider brought into a dysfunctional family of selfish, “smart” people. Quaid portrays a literary professor and novelist who is still adjusting to his wife’s death and the fact that he can’t find a publisher for his new novel. After an accident involving his car (well, his attempt to retrieve his car rather), he finds himself in the hands of his slacker adopted brother (Church), who becomes his completely unreliable chauffeur. At home, Quaid isn’t sure what to do about his daughter. She is a perfectionist and their relationship is a distant one. When she receives a call from the hospital after her father’s accident, she is more concerned that she will be missing out on studying for her S.A.T.s then his well being. She, in turn, becomes attached to her uncle because he is the opposite of her father and that relationship begins to grow into an even more unhealthy one. Parker is Quaid’s nurse and former student. Quaid has a terrible habit of forgetting his student’s names- current and past- and only remembers her after her gay best friend (“The Office”’s David Denman) informs him that she had a “thing” for him. She did and maybe it has to do with the fact that he treated her harshly in class and gave her thesis, in her opinion, an unfair grade. So now what? The movie doesn’t really have an answer. It floats around for the remainder of it’s ninety five minutes as the characters awkwardly interact with each other and it all leads to a conclusion that feels even more awkwardly forced and inappropriate. I saw the movie twice at the theaters (yep, still using those free passes), because I felt that maybe I missed something the first time around. The second time I liked it even less. Could it have been a better film without Parker and maybe an Amy Adams instead? The first time I would have said absolutely. The second time I wasn’t so sure.

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Baby Animals- Make It End
Baby Animals- Rush You

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MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (2008)

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
***
Rating: PG-13
Length: 92 minutes
Director: Bharat Nalluri (The Crow: Salvation; Tsunami: The Aftermath)
Writers: David Magee (Finding Neverland) and Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty; Among Giants)
Starring: Amy Adams, Frances McDormand, Shirley Henderson, Ciaran Hinds, Lee Pace, Tom Payne, Mark Strong, Christina Cole

Mark my words- one day Amy Adams will win an Academy Award. Like a similar complaint I made with my “Snow Angels” review a few posts ago, once Oscar voting starts “Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day” will be long forgotten and Ms. Adams will be robbed of a well deserved nomination (much like she was for her performance in “Enchanted”- though at least she got to sing at the ceremony). She has been nominated once before (and should have won) for her role in the wonderful “Junebug”. Now that the world is finally starting to become familiar with a talent that the critics and her fan base have loved for quite a while- it’s just a matter of time before she’s holding a gold statue. She brings so much energy to her performance in this film that it literally lights up every time she is onscreen- which thankfully is extremely often. Not that she isn’t surrounded by talent- the cast also includes Oscar winner Frances McDormand (Fargo), Ciaran Hinds (There Will Be Blood), and Shirley Henderson (Trainspotting). I have a feeling that the mood and flow of this film is what George Clooney was going for with his recent misstep “Leatherheads”. “Miss Pettigrew” is also a throw back to the screwball comedies of yesteryear- only it works very well here. Unlike Clooney’s film, where only Renee Zellweger seemed to be on the right page, everyone here knows what they’re doing and they do it right. There are times where you think that Adams and McDormand actually are acting in a movie from the 1930’s or ‘40’s, except the movie looks so damned good that it reminds you that it is in fact a movie made in this era. McDormand plays the title character, Guinevere Pettigrew, a personal assistant in London during the days before World War II was about to break out. She is constantly fired from job after job, but it seems like she’s getting the raw end of the deal. When she complains to the boss at the employment agency that maybe her last employer should “stop drinking so much”, she is told that “you change for them, they don’t change for you”. Desperate, Miss Pettigrew swipes an address off the boss’ desk and goes to visit it’s resident- Delysia Lafosse (Adams). Lafosse is stunned to find that it is ten in the morning and not ten at night and has Miss Pettigrew rush her latest lover- an up and coming theater producer (Tom Payne) - out of her flat before it’s owner and her sugar daddy, Nick Colderelli (Mark Strong) arrives home. Pettigrew is in shock at all of Delysia’s loves. “Well there’s also Michael!”, she tells her and then laughs, “That’s only three!”. Delysia doesn’t need a personal assistant as much as she does someone to help juggle her messy love life. She refers to Miss Pettigrew as her “social adviser” to Nick. Delysia needs Nick for a place to stay and a job (she sings at his nightclub). She needs the theater producer, Phil, because he says he can make her a star. Her heart, however, belongs to the piano player in her night club act and ex-con Michael (Lee Pace). Michael is neither rich nor high in social status obviously, but he accepts who for who she really is and we learn later that she really isn’t much of a Delysia Lafosse after all. Meanwhile, Miss Pettigrew does get her chance to live for a day. Instead of fishing bread out of dumpsters and going to soup kitchens, she gets to go to fancy balls, eat gourmet food, and get a make over. She also finds that Delysia isn’t the only one who can attract men, as a prominent fashion designer (Hinds) makes his intentions well known to her after they meet at one of his shows. It’s a busy twenty four hours, no doubt about it, but that’s what makes the film so much fun. It’s a throwback to when an audience could stretch their imagination and remember that they are just watching a movie and that is was possible for people to fall in love at first sight and a happy ending could be had for all.

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Cole Porter- Anything Goes

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