Movie Reviews for Mar 22, 2010

Rules of Attraction

Rules of Attraction [7 clips]

Ian Somerhalder	Jessica Biel	Kip Pardue
Theresa Wayman

A bunch of losers (I mean real losers) recall their college days and events that shaped their lives. Very little nudity in the US version. Maybe theres more in the overseas versions. We wouldnt watch it again to find out.

The Last American Virgin

The Last American Virgin [1 clip]

Steve Antin

"The Last American Virgin", along with "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is one the last great teen films ever made. It is tender tale of envy and unrequited love set in the early eighties. Much-maligned by critics that it was a sophomoric, banal attempt to recreate the magic of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", these same critics fail to recognize that the two films were actually filmed concurrently during late 1981, and released at only slight intervals from one another. Either way, the studios would never allow such a bold and uncompromising portrayal of the issues many male teenagers are confronted with as they reach their sexual maturity. Especially considering the heart-wrenching discovery the protagonist, Gary is confronted with in the end. American Pie this is not. The story revolves around a trio of male teenagers, and their mostly unsuccessful sexual pursuits. Gary is the least successful of the group, hence the tagline LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN. Secretly, Gary lusts after Karen, who is involved with Rick, his best friend. Rick and Karen begin having sex, and Karen gets pregnant, only to be dumped by Rick, who is not interested in the obvious responsibility which lies before him. Gary glides into help Karen, which leads to the aforementioned, unexpected conclusion. Overall as a film, I find it was very successful as a comedy, as a commentary on the sexual dilemmas of young men, and a remarkable coming of age tale dealing with issues such as envy, unrequited love and abortion, which are just as pertinent today as they were over twenty years ago. Also, it has one of the rockingest soundtracks ever made!!!

John Tucker Must Die

John Tucker Must Die [1 clip]

Jesse Metcalfe

Don't let the title confuse you. John Tucker does not die, though I can't say how thrilled I would have been if this event were to have come to pass. No, as fate would have it, nobody dies in this movie. In fact, the only people who end up close to death by the end of the movie are the audience, who, in all likelihood, will be scrambling about in the theater, desperately searching for something pointy to impale themselves with. Yeah, its that bad. Don't get me wrong. I didn't walk into this movie expecting to see something that was Oscar-worthy. Hell, to say that I even walked in willingly would be a lie beyond comprehension. However, after the suggestion from my sister, who compared this movie to "Mean Girls," I thought I'd go check it out. "Mean Girls" this move is definitely not. If anything it plays out like a sub-par episode of Salute Your Shorts, where everyone on the screen knows the stereotype of their character and exploits it to no end. There's the nerdy girl, who's way too hot to be nerdy, but apparently not too hot to develop complex computer programs to plan John Tucker's demise, or get her hands on oober expensive spy equipment to sneak a peak at Mr. Tucker's dating life. Of course, let's not forget the cheerleader who is assertive and sexually active, but not too slutty because that would tarnish her image. That role is filled by the vegan slut of the movie, who is dumb in every imaginable form, and gets by by her unfathomable ability to work a man over. Last but not least we have the poor, wholesome (yet unfathomably hot) girl, who like Lindsay Lohan in "Mean Girls," is just caught in the middle of someone else's evil scheme that transforms her from a nobody to the most popular girl in the school. It all feels as if its been done before. That's because it has. Clearly, this was a film pieced together for the dumbest of the 13-year-old girl spectrum. So dumb, in fact, that a line like "Slut in truck" will undoubtedly fill your theater with a roar of intolerable girl-cackles, simply because it kind of rhymes. Of course, if you're a normal human being, you won't go see this movie. But if you're on the fringe, teeter-tottering between seeing this movie or sawing off your face, let me highly recommend the latter to you. Recommended for no one.

Joseph Andrews

Joseph Andrews [4 clips]

Peter Firth

Natalie Ogle

Joseph Andrews would be just another comical period piece if it were not for the fantastic performace of Ann-Margret whos comical timing is never off once. Plus were graced with the terrific body of Natalie Ogle

Catwalk Dogs

Catwalk Dogs [1 clip]

Kris Marshall

Michael is a man, by which I mean he is an idiot. OK he has a high-powered job as a lawyer but he is emotionally distant from his partner Sally and works long hours. This doesn't change when they suffer a miscarriage and hurts her further when he dismisses her hobby of entering their pet dog Archie in dog shows (which again she only took to fill the long hours alone). Things come to a head and Sally dumps Michael – sort of being helped in a "friendly" way by dog trainer Guy. While Sally tries to cope with Guy's overbearing mother, Michael decides to start entering Michael in shows to try and demonstrate that he can share Sally's interest and hopefully win her back. Just before watching this I had written up my review of Coffy, the Pam Grier blaxploitation film. In that review I had commented on sometimes you need to judge a film by the rules of its genre to be fair to it. I mention this because "Catwalk Dogs" is an example of what I was trying to say in the reverse. You see "simplistic Sunday night drama" is not a genre and as such I do not feel that I should be expected to make concessions to it just because most dramas of its ilk in its timeslot generally don't make a lot of effort. Of course Catwalk Dogs does seem to fit into the "unchallenging and warming drama" at some turns but the strong language and rather harsh relationship base suggest that it will be more than that. On the balance of things though it is a rather predictable and smug drama that shows its teeth here and there but never barks or bites. The plotting mostly stays with the safe and easy devices without really exploring them to a degree that is real or convincing. The presence of Kris Marshall perhaps is no surprise. He is not a great actor (adverts and sitcoms seems to be more or less his forte) and really he is too smug and superficial to ever make for a real person. Mackenzie is not a lot better in the acting stakes but she is a charming presence and she engaged me to the same degree as Marshall annoyed me – whatever small amount of chemistry they had is down to her, not him. Lamb is dull, Quick is a solid matriarchal monster while Keegan is too sappy. Sullivan directs with no particular invention but deserves credit for what I can only assume was a difficult shoot with so many animals involved. Overall then a so-so drama that will offer enough to you if you are used to the shapeless blobs that are served up by ITV on Sunday night under the banner of "one-off drama" then this might please you. For me though the drama was just too unconvincing, the relationship lacked a basing in reality and the humour was either silly or smug. For my money it was passable at best.

A Room With a View

A Room With a View [1 clip]

Rafe Spall

Tom Byam-Shaw

I see that Elaine Cassidy has been tipped for the top. Her Lucy Honeychurch catches some of what Helena Bonham Carter missed in the Merchant Ivory film, without succeeding in eclipsing her. The main improvement is that she and a surprisingly unfoppish Laurence Fox look like a more realistic pair of lovers in this Andrew Davies adaptation than HBC and DDL and seem fated for different reasons. I wasn't quite so immediately convinced Rafe Spall had what it took to part them. Sophie Thompson never disappoints and is a fabulous Charlotte, Mark Williams turns in another great piece of work as does Timothy West. In fact, compared to the Merchant Ivory version, most of the characters have a little more nuanced colour in their cheeks, with the exception of Freddie and Mrs Honeychurch. What stops this taking off and flying is the lack of real vitality in the script and a lot of direction which tends toward the pedestrian. Although, on balance, I think I still prefer the Merchant Ivory version, there's plenty enough here to enjoy.

Equus

Equus [2 clips]

Peter Firth

I watched this film several times as a teenager. It meant a lot to me and altered many of the concrete ideas I was trying to understand. Its a shame this film is not more widely available and better known. Its filled with brilliant performances and a shattering script by Peter Schaffer. It is hard not to be shaken and stirred by the ideas of this film/play. It is a powerful indictment of the complexity of the human mind and the limits of science in attempting to translate, understand and reform the wild and fantastic reaches of human consciousness. It is a film with so many subtexts and ideas about the human mind - it encompasses questions of religion, psychiatry, dreams, forbidden sexuality, fantasy, taboos, psychology, youth and history. Well, these are the most crucial in the films narrative. Equus tells the story of a adolescent's counselling after he commits a violent, extreme crime. Alan Strang (Peter Firth) has been interned under the guidance of Martin Dysart (Richard Burton) to work through the issues surrounding his actions. Alan is clearly disturbed and withdrawn but the devastating secrets he bears threaten not merely his own family but Dysart's own sense of self and truth. And audiences too. Its a film noted for its male nudity - which is quite notable - but its the swirling, subversive ideas which spring forth from this film which make it even more challenging and provocative. An important, intelligent film.

X Factor

X Factor [1 clip]

Andy Williams

Night & Day

Night & Day [3 clips]

Seb Castang

Stuart Manning

The acting of this series is terrible. Typical 21st century british acting in the making. The story lines carries on forever. Beware you have been warned. This soap started in November 2001 and for some reason it is still transmitting now. it started off as a tea-time slot but now it has reduced to a pitiful one hour midnight slot.

Spooks

Spooks [3 clips]

Rupert Penry-Jones

Richard Armitage

Just finished the last episode of series three, and was reminded why this is my favourite show of all time. I think the comparisons to 24 are quite unfair--they both deal with terrorism, but the similarities end there. Spooks is far more cerebral, and spends more effort on character and plot development. Unlike other reviewers, I felt series three was every bit as good (and in many ways even better) than the previous two. The departure of several main characters was handled exceedingly well, and while they'll be missed, I think their replacements are quite strong and as such, the transition has been quite smooth. Kudos! (Er, no pun intended)

Greenfingers

Greenfingers [2 clips]

Danny Dyer

This is a wonderful (true) story of hardened criminals who, through gardening, become human again. The performances are all quite excellent, including that of the ever-enjoyable Helen Mirren. Even if you aren't a gardener, you will enjoy this film about redemption and triumph.

Quills

Quills [4 clips]

Kate Winslet

Rebecca Palmer

Toby Sawyer

In a Napoleonic era insane asylum, an inmate, the irrepressible Marquis De Sade, fights a battle of wills against a tyrannically prudish doctor. They say there are no bad words, only bad deeds. Their bad deed was not enough of Kate nude!

Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks [12 clips]

Gary Lucy	James Redmond	Chris Fountain
James Sutton	Ashley Taylor-Dawson	Stephen Beard
Ben Hull	Stefan Booth

Hollyoak's is the brainchild of Phil Redmond. Redmond has provided the British public with some of the best cutting edge drama in the last 30 years. Beginning with Grange Hill in 1978 he established what has now become a legendary national treasure depicting the trials and tribulations of teenagers in their G.C.S.E and A-Levels. He then created Brookside, which changed the story lines of British Soaps forever with its continuous devotion to depict gritty, real suburban live. A programme set in Redmond's native Liverpool that revolved around a community of adults. Then in the 1990's came Hollyoaks. This was Redmond's project to depict live of the twenty something's in Chester. On its release in 1995 it was considered typical Redmond's style. Its depiction of real live issues was sometimes relentlessly hard to watch but in other areas it was terrifically funny. It's cast were wonderful with the emphasis was on a naturalistic performance. The writing was crisp and fresh and very inventive. It dealt in a very mature fashion with the issues depicted and its sensitive approach meant that the soap was held very high in both the public and industries eyes. But as the old cast began to move on and replacements were drafting in it became clear that the previous hard work was being replaced by glamour and over the top story lines. The new actors were looks friendly and not very talented and the acting descended from well thought out characterizations to populist acting. This consists of over the top performances throughout the episode. It is quite frustrating to see this considering whatever went before them were genuine actors and actresses. This is not helped by the over the top story lines. Since January 2006 there has been a kidnapping, incarceration of a rapist who then escapes and commits mass murder. It is now Sept 2006 and the big action packed story lines are still coming. This is not helped by the cheesy camera direction that is employed in some of the scripts. One particular sequence involved a tomato ketchup mustard shoot out involving two girls. This was shot to the style of a John Woo. Some people say this is inspirational but to me its just rubbish and it quite clearly pisses upon what Phil Redmond set out to achieve in 1995. What was a good British Soap full of characters that you would genuinely care for have now been forsaken for a more Americanised product full of whining wannabes. In it's time it has tread some ground that has met Phil Redmond's brief of Realism. The most powerful storyline to date was the male rape of Luke Morgan. This was the last time that Hollyoaks generated such a response from the public. Many of whom welcomed such a topic that had until then been swept under the carpet as a taboo issue. Since then the cheese has been processed weekly and distributed on a daily basis. In the film The Insider the Christopher Plummer character says in relation to media " You will only be remembered for what you did last night ". If this statement is true I really hope Phil Redmond has another ace up his sleeve because at the moment it looks like Hollyoaks current mediocrity will be remembered. 4 out of 10.

Hollyoaks

Hollyoaks [12 clips]

Gary Lucy	James Redmond	Chris Fountain
James Sutton	Ashley Taylor-Dawson	Stephen Beard
Ben Hull	Stefan Booth

Shameless (2004)

Shameless (2004) [12 clips]

Jody Latham	Ciaran Kellgren	Nicky Evans
Dean Lennox Kelly	Elliott Tittensor	Aaron McCusker

Definitely the best series i have ever seen on TV. Non stop Laughing all the way through. the realism of the program is great and allows a lot of people to actually relate to it. i would recommend everyone should watch this and hopefully enjoy it as much as i have. the characters are fantastic, frank is hilarious! there are also the characters who you befriend throughout the series, like Lip and Ian. the story lines have been fantastic and each one has left you wanting to see what happens in the next episode. this program is a definite 'thumbs up' and hopefully there will be a second series with all the same characters, because i am sure people would welcome the return of the show.

Shameless (2004)

Shameless (2004) [12 clips]

Jody Latham	Ciaran Kellgren	Nicky Evans
Dean Lennox Kelly	Elliott Tittensor	Aaron McCusker

Food of Love

Food of Love [4 clips]

Paul Rhys

Kevin Bishop

A study in deception. Aspiring concert pianist Paul (perfectly played by exquisite Kevin Bishop) is the only character that displays even a modicum of honesty or integrity. The beautiful, earnest eighteen-year-old is duped and used by everyone he encounters. When the film opens, Paul is turning pages for his idol, turning-forty concert pianist Richard Kennington (ghoulish Paul Rhys). Sparks fly during the Beethoven. After the concert Richard invites Paul out, but his strident mother thwarts them. Richard's manager, Joseph, hit on the tempting young man before the concert. Unbeknownst to popular Paul, randy Richard and geriatric Joseph are long-time lovers. Vacationing with his mother in Barcelona, Paul meets Richard again. More determined this time, the older man beds the bonny boy within five minutes via that venerable 'sine qua non' of seduction: a back-rub. In a rare moment of candor, Richard wonders if he made a mistake by hopping into the sack so precipitously, but spoils it by adding he just assumed that was what the boy wanted. They begin a one-week stand and, between some rather lovely rolls in the hay, explore Barcelona with Paul's histrionic mother. Blind as well as boisterous, she takes a shine to Richard and attempts to seduce him. It doesn't work, of course, but her ghastly flirtation does succeed in making the pianist flee the country without so much as a word of explanation or farewell to the hapless boy. In New York, Paul moves in with rich troll Alden on Central Park West where he runs into Joseph. More determined this time, the agent promptly seduces the eager boy with concerts, fancy dinners, and the hope of management. But, even when questioned about all the pictures of Richard in his apartment, Joseph does not come clean about their relationship. Though it could just be the appalling acting and insane script, from all the hemming and hawing it seems that Alden and Joseph have also been 'friendly' in the past so -- let's see -- all four male protagonists have slept with at least two of the others! Paul and Joseph have slept with all three. Only the neurotic mother has been excluded from the sexual merry-go-round, not that she didn't try her best to hop on. Though he's slept with every man over forty in the film, Paul is closeted to his mother. While snooping, she comes upon some rather 'personal' reading material, has a light-bulb moment, rushes off to an outlandish gay mothers' group, and hops a plane to New York. She confronts Joseph and Richard (at his birthday party, no less) with one last shrill whine of consternation. Suffice it to say, actress Juliet Stevenson hasn't left a shred of scenery unchewed anywhere. Now, at least, everyone knows about the spicy sexual potpourri. As for the luckless lad, the reasons for all his needless suffering finally become clear. Kevin Bishop is adorably preppy in Burberry from head to toe, with a lovely body and incandescent blue eyes. He is ingenuous and sincere . . most of the time . . but, bewildered by the inexplicable and overbearing behavior all around him, he does become a tad truculent. Who wouldn't?! Extra stars for the seductive stripling. His beauty makes it possible to watch this high-flutin' pot-boiler despite all its goofiness, disjointed dialogue, musical ineptitude, and unintentional hilarity.

Nip/Tuck

Nip/Tuck [8 clips]

Julian McMahon	Mario Lopez	Dylan Walsh
Thad Luckinbill

Okay, Okay..Some people do not like this show, for its graphic material, and mature subject matter. I on the other hand Love it. The show is a little fabricated, not every Physician is screwing there clients..but it is such a great step out of reality. I think it's very entertaining. I am 17, and from a teenagers standpoint, they really catch the feeling of being his age, with hard situations when it comes to sexual preference on oneself, and towards girls. Actor John Hensley Who plays "Matt Mcnamara" (The one I am talking about) In my eyes is pretty gifted. Not every guy deals with his girlfriend going through a stage of same sex interest, but it's a common story...Also, the whole thing about being circumcised, and dealing with parents (Dylan Walsh "Sean McNamara" and Joley Richardson "Julia McNamara") who are going through a shaky marriage. It's a very strong storyline, that makes sence, with a dark twist. Great selling point! Then we have Julian Mcmahon Who plays "Christian Troy" Who spices it up with every attractive female client that "Mcnamara Troy" get. He's a very interesting character, and it's fun to see what he does next. I honestly can't see why people talk some much smack about this show? Look at the other shows on F/X. Shows like "The Shield" and "Hitch Hiker Cronicals" They are obviously shooting for the 16-25 crowd, with horny minds, and vivid imaginations. I think it's excellent. ER is too bland..and porno....well porno doesn't always get the job done, It's redundant. Combine the two, Good acting, and provactive situations..and you hit the jackpot. 10/10 stars, this is my favorite show on T.v.

Joe's Palace

Joe's Palace [1 clip]

Rupert Penry-Jones

It's always a bit of a surprise to visit here after I've seen a wonderful movie. There are intelligent people that see it through eyes that are as valid as mine, yet they saw nothing as I did. I think it would be wise not to take too much from any of the reviews that you see here. If you are one of the lucky ones that see the film as I did, you will be rewarded by an experience that's as full as "Howard's End". If not, you'll likely know within the first 15 minutes and you can do something else. I thought the acting was as good as anything I've seen in the past couple of years. It wasn't just Gambon, it was pretty much across the board. Wynter was unbelievably good. Kelly Reilly was perfect. If you haven't read the spoilers yet, don't. This movie is subtle. Give it a try.

Falcon Crest

Falcon Crest [1 clip]

Lorenzo Lamas

Wyman, The former wife 39th President Ronald Reagan triumphantly returned to television in the nighttime soap opera "Falcon Crest". For most of the show's nine-year run, no one could best Jane Wyman's "Angela Channing," the writers providing her with the best lines, the best wardrobe, and, in most episodes, the final scene. It wasn't until the show's last season that poor health prevented her from appearing in no more than the first and last installments. However, she was surrounded by a cast of superb performers. Though Robert Foxworth received second billing, it was evident that other characters were more popular. Susan Sullivan, already a favorite from the daily soap "Another World," gained a wider audience as Chase's wife Maggie, following his dream to achieve success as a wine maker. William R. Moses and, initially, Jamie Rose were their children, brought into a community to which they were ill-suited. Lorenzo Lamas and Ana Alicia as Angela's grandson and granddaughter-in-law provided enough tension, in and out of the bedroom, to supply several soap operas. Margaret Ladd as "looney" daughter "Emma" was a treat to watch each week, as was Abby Dalton as her manipulative sister and the mother to Lamas's character. Chao Li Chi played the chauffeur and confidant to Mrs. Channing. Possibly the most popular characterization was David Selby as "Richard Channing," Angela's chief nemesis that would later be revealed as her son. Their ongoing battles were priceless. Other cast members came and went, a veritable "who's who" of "Old Hollywood". Lana Turner, Mel Ferrer, Cesar Romero, Eve Arden, Celeste Holm, Kim Novak, and Rod Taylor were just some of the famous that entered the gates of Falcon Crest. There were some major casting "snafus," from rock star and Prince-protégé Appolonia, playing to type as a character sporting her same name, to Gregory Harrison as a rival for Richard Channing's empire. Both seemed ill-at-ease with their roles. Though the show drifted into absurdity in season four with a "Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark-like" search for a treasure buried beneath the estate/vineyard (complete with the film's star Paul Freeman as the sinister leader behind the search), it still maintained its cutthroat machinations for most of its run. Another plus were the thrilling season-ending cliffhangers. "Dallas" may have started them all, but "Falcon Crest" had the best. The show never had the ratings success of "Dallas" or "Dynasty" but it was still an enjoyable way to spend an hour on a Friday night.

Foxfire

Foxfire [4 clips]

Peter Facinelli

Angelina Jolie

Hedy Burress

The story of five teenage girls who form an unlikely bond after beating up a teacher who has sexually harassed them. Pretty hot movie and some of the scenes are really steamy.

Bellamy's People

Bellamy's People [1 clip]

Rhys Thomas

You can't really go wrong with this crew. I enjoyed the Fast Show a lot and I listened to most of 'Down the Line' on radio 4. Bellamy's People is basically 'Down the Line' on TV in that Bellamy himself is a character rather than a real Radio DJ. Down the Line was a Radio 4 show and the first time I heard it for about the first 15 minutes I thought it was real rather than the spoof that it is. It was set up like a phone in show ala 'Any Answers' and sounds very very real until the callers become more and more silly and you realise that your actually listening to Higson, Whitehouse, Day et al. I liked it very much and the last ghost episode was actually very spooky. Having survived the ghost in his studio anyway, Bellamy is out and about talking to 'members of the British Public' - actually characters played by the cast. This is one thing I would say that makes it not quite work as well as on the radio, because you can quickly tell its a spoof as whatever make-up he's under Paul Whitehouse has a very distinctive face! Also, some of the characters are very reminiscent of Fast Show characters. Still its a good format and funny, in the same slanted way that the Fast Show was funny. I laughed last night the most at Bellamy questioning the rappers about their names and that if he wanted to be known as 'accurate' then why was his name 'Sniper' (which was violent) and not 'Atomic Clock'.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever [1 clip]
If you like, as Troy King so eloquently describes as"....bloody urine in a high school punch bowl,.. self mutilated hands by way of chop saw,..puking penises,.read that last one again(oh Yea That's Right).very very fat chicks that get naked, messing around in the school pool only to start bleeding from the holiest of holes, turning the whole pool red and at the same time their teeth start falling out while they drown,..still other chicks except hotter this time giving ,..well giving what they can with huge festering blisters on their tongues ,....." you'll love Cabin Fever 2, as it goes far beyond the boundaries of good taste!

Slippery Slope

Slippery Slope [2 clips]

Brian Letscher

Wes Ramsey

"Slippery Slope" is a rarity among films these days: a totally character- and story-driven exercise in cinematic understanding of human nature and the unfathomable forces that compel human beings to both deceive and trust one another, often at the same time. Everything about it clicks: the script, the dialogue, the sets, the affectionate, careful development of each character no matter how minor, and the sense of delight it conveys at adding a brave new element to the discussion of female empowerment and pornography, which as "Slippery Slope" conveys with wit and depth, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Not anymore, anyway, and certainly not after viewing director and writer Sarah Schenck's gem of a film. Schenck's attention to detail is note-perfect and provides many moments of recognition and laughter, from the scrubbed-off remnants of one of those dreaded yellow parking stickers on the car of the husband, marvelously portrayed by Jim True-Frost, as he drives off to confront his wife whom he suspects of conducting an affair at a Long Island motel but who in reality is directing a porn movie she doesn't want him to know about, to the made-up names of the "classics" she has re-worked to make them palatable for porn audiences, in which Shakespeare's "Tempest" becomes "The Temptress" and Dickens' "Hard Times" becomes "Really Hard Times." In particular, the delineation of Gillian, the female protagonist, resonates powerfully as she evolves from a struggling, out-of-work auteur into a more liberated, honest, loving (and solvent) version of herself. Even the title of the film's primary device, "Feminism For Dummies," a film she has completed but cannot retrieve from the lab because she lacks the funds to pay for it, is a double-edged entendre with multiple layers of meaning that Schenck is wise enough to leave open to interpretation by her viewers. She does not play down to her audience even though the subject matter itself may seem to call out for such condescension, but rather uses her talents to explore the tensions inherent in the many situations that arise as a result of Gillian's double life and the deception she perpetrates on her husband out of - shame? Respect for his "purity"? Artistic duplicity? All are elements shaping her decision to enter the strange, staged world of pornography, but Schenck leaves it up to the audience to decide which ones matter and which don't, a mark of esteem for her viewers woefully lacking in too many modern filmmakers' "hit-'em-over-the-head-with-a-sledgehammer" school of cinematic indulgence. My lone criticism of "Slippery Slope" stems not from any significant component of its script, direction, or production values, but from one scene and one scene only that takes place on a New York street when Gillian, serendipitously encounters an actor who appeared in her documentary but has since shifted over to the less reputable but more remunerative realm of pornography (and New York pornography at that, which has its own unique sensibilities setting it apart from L.A. pornography, as any New Yorker knows...) The dialogue during this scene is unfortunately drowned out by the verities of New York street noise, and it was difficult to make out what was being said by the actors as they walk down the sidewalk discussing the way their lives have changed, or not, since the completion of "Feminism For Dummies." (One of my favorite exchanges in the movie occurs during this scene and happily, I caught it: "...Porn makes ten billion bucks a year, same as Hollywood." Reply: "That just says there's a big audience for showing women as nothing more than a support system for a vagina and breasts.") There are no conflagrations other than those of the emotional kind; no car chases other than when the husband roars off in his dilapidated clunker to "catch" his wife in the act; no special effects except for a sweet, funny scene that uses plastic dolls to represent the action in the porn film she is writing - on a deadline, no less! - and no loud, obtrusive soundtrack to distract viewers from the important elements that make this film so special and unique. There is only a great story, fabulous script, authentic acting (and don't think "acting" the part of a porn actor doesn't require its own special skill set, which the four "porn" actors all employ wonderfully,) a delightful surprise ending, and an overarching message that in Schenck's more than capable hands, becomes a path to both enlightenment and hilarity.

Further Tales of the City

Further Tales of the City [2 clips]

Paul Hopkins

Billy Campbell

"Further Tales Of The City" is much darker than the first 2 installments of the series. It is the early 1980's, and Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney) is now a television personality, and is romantically involved with Brian Hawkins (Whip Hubley). One day, Mary Ann gets a call from Mrs. Halcyon, widow of her old boss. It seems that DeDe (Barbara Garrick) was presumed dead when she and D'ororthea moved to Guyana...with Jim Jones, the mad prophet of The People's Temple, in which nearly 1,000 followers killed themselves or were murdered. However, DeDe is very much alive and in fear of her life: she believes that Jim Jones is not dead, and that he is after her twin children). Knowing that this is the story that could advance her career, Mary Ann works with DeDe to solve this mystery. Meanwhile, newly divorced Prue Giroux (Mary Kay Place)meets the mysterious Luke Henry Czerny)in Golden Gate Park, and falls in love with him, not knowing the connection between Luke and DeDe. Meanwhile, Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis)is keeping Mother Mucca (Jackie Burroughs) company and keeping a nosy news reporter (Sandra Oh)from revealing the info about DeDe and Mary Ann. This is not as good as the first 2 of the series, and there is a lot of moments that can bring you down (One of the characters has signs that he has AIDS, which was just being discovered at the time). And the "Jim Jones isn't dead" storyline is an interesting nod to conspiracy theorists out there. Still, it is a good entry in the series.