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jim_burt
Reviews
Queer as Folk (2022)
Adolescent pains - what would it have grown onto?
This is nowhere near as bad as most reviewers here would have you think.
There are some really cringe-worthy moments here. But I can remember some really cringe moments in both the UK and Showtime incarnations as well, yet the Showtime version at least did grow into something worthwhile for a bit.
One place where it does live up to its predecessors is in unashamedly taking on the pretentiousness and hypocrisy that sometimes pervades the "alphabet-soup" community.
Where it fails is in tackling way too many issues at once in too few episodes, at the expense of greater character development.
It's a shame that, at least for now, we won't get to see where this could have gone and what it might have become had it been given time to mature. And as always it's depressing that the community persists in "eating its young".
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Didn't think it could possibly be this bad!
Didn't think it could possibly be this bad! It was.
Bam Bam and Celeste (2005)
Good grins
Anyone who hates this just doesn't get the concept of camp and parody. Like hello ... it's comedy, not Henry VIII, OK? Good grins all around. Good comedy often gets its message across though exaggeration. This movie is a good example of that. The homophobes and bigots are caricatures, not characters, and it works. Likewise, the romantic interest is exaggerated through its apparent superficiality. That's the point. This isn't about character development. It's about focusing the viewer on how they perceive the people around them, and pointing out the superficiality of their perceptions of others. In that, it succeeds. Though the ending was almost trite, they saved it in the end. Definitely worth a watch, and good messages all around.
Eagles: The Farewell 1 Tour - Live from Melbourne (2005)
Fine wine
Outstanding production. As others have noted, they've never sounded better. Good to see that Walsh has himself straightened away.
Walmart is moving this for Christmas at under $10, with three new songs on a CD over-wrapped on the original packaging. Doubt you'll ever get it cheaper.
30 tracks on two DVDs. Both 2.0 and 5.1 sound included. 16x9 video.
Unlike a lot of live concerts, the audience adds to, rather than detracting from, the experience. Also unlike a lot of live material, this is very well mixed.
Really spectacular. A great stocking stuffer for any rock or country fan.
The Keep (1983)
Spectacular novel ill-served by Mann
This gets a 7 simply for being. I love this not so much for what it is, but for what it could have been. I'm not really sure what Michael Mann was trying to do here; perhaps film noir crossed with B horror, with a little 70's psychedelic for good measure? F. Paul Wilson's outstanding novel gets a less than outstanding treatment here, as it doesn't seem that Mann really understands the genre. The bad guy is cheesy, the hero is diffident, the romance lack-luster, the FX have their moments.
Ian McKellan is one of the few high points; Scott Glenn is not developed at all, nor is the baddie (enough with the reverb, OK?) So see this, if you can find it, then read the novel and lament what you missed. While you're at it, give Paramount Hell for failing to deliver on their November 2004 release date for the DVD. (not to mention the 105 minute release versus the almost 3 hour director's cut that never saw the light of day. No idea whether that would have salvaged or completed Mann's botched interpretation.) The VHS transfer is crap, and though I'm told the laserdisc is great, especially the widescreen variant, who the heck has a laserdisc player these days?
The Borrowers (1973)
Charming for the kids
Previously I had only seen the 1997 remake of this. This version is oriented more towards a younger crowd. It does not play up the comedy angle as much. I felt it was nicely done, and appropriate for the up to age 10 crowd.
You may find this on DVD in the $1.00 family bin at Walmart. At least, that's where I found it. One word of warning on the DVD. It's nice that Digiview put it out on DVD. Having said that, the master must have been pretty bad. Don't expect top-notch quality here. It plays more like a well-worn VHS, with audio to suit. There are places where wear on the film shows through, and areas where it was obvious the film had been spliced. Thankfully, the entire movie is better in this regard than the opening credits. But hey, for a buck who's complaining?
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Need some Cheese with that Whine?
So help me, all Anakin does in this episode is whine, whine, whine. There was no continuity in the character from Episode 1. Trying to understand Jake Lloyd growing into Christiansen boggles the mind. What turned earnest little boy with the world on his shoulders and a can-do attitude into this annoying teenie-twit? Lucas gives us no clue. I certainly don't get the casting of Hayden Christiansen. Jake can act, Hayden doesn't show us anything. Sad.
Casting aside, Ep 2 has the same problems Episode 1 did: No writing, no dialog. The FX are fantastic, the creatures are delightful, the humans are stiff, unbelievable and wooden. These are prequels. We all know where we're going. This outing just doesn't help us enjoy the trip.
5.5/10
The Beautician and the Beast (1997)
A Real Surprise
Frankly, I normally can't stand Fran Drescher! Having said that, I was surprised to discover that this was a thoroughly enjoyable movie. Really good stuff in the sappy love story department. OK, so I'm a sucker! Worth a watch!
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
Bridge on the River Kwai minus the cliche'
In it's own way MCML is as interesting a view into the Japanese psyche of WWII as Shogun is of a period several hundred years earlier. Many of the same themes as other WWII flicks, such as Bridge on the River Kwai, are explored. But the Japanese are presented in a more balanced light, rather than just as unfathomable barbarians. Bowie's work is fascinating, as well, and reflects an acting ability you might not suspect. Without injecting any spoilers here, this is not an action flick. It is the portrait of a psychological battle well-fought between men of integrity on opposite sides of a conflict. It holds up very well for a twenty year old flick. Don't miss it.
Red Dirt (2000)
This movie can't decide what it wants to be.
I think Purvis starts out to do a gay "Gone With The Wind" If so, sorry, Tag, it didn't happen. It also didn't happen as a gay "sexploitation" flick. I guess I'm confused; what are we trying to do here? Much as I'd like to, I simply can't get to where I care even a little about these characters. This movie is effective in capturing a taste of the decadence that lives in the South; it does nothing to explain, enlighten or advance my understanding of a gay relationship, or the conflict the protagonist seems to be grappling with.