Review: "Clueless" is Best Remembered for Who Was in It

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Clueless (1995)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sex related dialogue and some teen use of alcohol and drugs
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Amy Heckerling
PRODUCERS: Robert Lawrence and Scott Rudin
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bill Pope
EDITOR: Debra Chiate

COMEDY

Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Stacy Dash, Donald Faison, Dan Hedaya, Breckin Meyer, Justin Walker, Wallace Shawn, Jeremy Sisto, and Julie Brown

Clueless is certainly one of the most entertaining “teenaged” movies ever made, and it is thus so because of its creator, writer-director Amy Heckerling. Heckerling (Look Who’s Talking) is well remembered for directing another landmark movie about teenagers, the fantastic Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which influenced the pop culture of at least two generations of teenagers and young people after its 1982 debut.

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is a pampered Beverly Hills princess who shops for fine clothes, shoes, and accessories almost non-stop. With her friend Dionne Marie Davenport (Stacey Dash), she is the most popular girl in school. When she draws the ire of her father Mel (Dan Hedaya) for poor grades, she decides that she can earn a better grade from one of her teachers, Mr. Alphonse Hall (Wallace Shawn), by setting him up with a girl friend.

That venture successful, she decides to upgrade the looks of the new girl in school, Tai Fraiser (Brittany Murphy), and to find a boyfriend for Tai. It is during her manipulation of other people’s status that she slowly discovers she is really lonely. Her frustrating search for companionship reveals to her that she is the one who is clueless.

Clueless was probably the first film to capture the attention and bucks of the so-called Generation Y baby boomers. Like the out-of-nowhere hit making band Hanson, Clueless was a surprise success. It captured the flavor and essences of Southern California teenagers from well-to-do and affluent families who could indulge their children with expensive toys, clothes, cars, and other material things. Heckerling ably captures the language and style of these teens, simultaneously poking at and documenting them in her fictional film. Her most important achievement was that she took those character types and made a good film out of it.

The performances are actually understated and accomplished considering that the characters are so over the top. Ms. Silverstone, the youthful blond of the moment for a few years, portrays Cher as thoughtful girl, who truly does understand the needs of others, but strictly through her needs. The goal of the movie seems to be to teach her that she doesn’t have to only help people if it benefits her as much, if not more than, the ones she is helping. Ms. Silverstone subtly travels that path of education all the while keeping her character interesting and entertaining. Sometimes a good character can become a bore during the course of a film when the creators are trying to teach that character a lesson.

The rest of the cast is equally up to the challenge of entertaining. Paul Rudd is quite good as Cher’s stepbrother Josh Lucas, and Dan Hedaya’s Mel is the perfect wrangler for his daughter. There is also a wealth of young Hollywood faces and character actors who take their turn making the world of Cher so vivid, so silly, and so joyous.

And that’s what this movie is - joyous.

Fun, silly, irreverent, it is also a sly commentary on particular group of the youth of America, but the film possesses enough charm that the viewer focuses mostly on the comedy and romance. Only the keenest mind of a killjoy would focus on how vacuous this film can be at times. Heckerling has created a bright, sunny movie that is both smart and enjoyable. Part parody, part satire, and a little farce, Clueless is, alas, simply fun to watch.

6 of 10
B

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"The Lion King" Leads the Disney Blu-ray Charge for October 4th

THE LION KING: DIAMOND EDITION - The wait is over. For the first time ever, experience the majesty of Disney’s epic animated masterpiece as it roars onto Blu-ray™ and Disney Blu-ray 3D™, October 4, 2011. With a spectacular digital picture, spine-tingling high definition sound and immersive bonus features—you will feel the love for this critically acclaimed and universally beloved classic like never before. Embark on an extraordinary coming-of-age adventure as Simba, a lion cub who cannot wait to be king, searches for his destiny in the great “Circle of Life.” You will be thrilled by the breathtaking animation, unforgettable Academy Award®– winning music (1994: Best Original Score; Best Original Song, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”), and timeless story. The king of all animated films reigns on Disney Blu-ray.

The Lion King: Diamond Edition will be available for purchase as a 4 Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy) for the suggested retail price of $49.99 U.S./ $56.99 Canada; a 2 Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray and DVD) for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada, an 8 Disc Trilogy Collection that includes The Lion King (Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy), The Lion King 1 ½ (Blu-ray and DVD) and The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride (Blu-ray and DVD) for the suggested retail price of $100.00 U.S./$115.00 Canada, a High Definition Disney Digital Download for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./ $46.99 Canada and/or a Standard Definition Disney Digital Download for the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada.

The Lion King (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)


DISNEYNATURE’S AFRICAN CATS - This coming October, don’t miss Disneynature’s latest home entertainment release, AFRICAN CATS, an epic film profiling two incredible families as they strive to make a home in the wilds of Africa. Disneynature AFRICAN CATS will debut as a 2-Disc Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack, a High Definition Movie Download and for On-Demand viewing on Tuesday, October 4, and is the perfect family-friendly film that provides an exciting journey into the wild while also raising consumer awareness for these incredible animals. For every movie purchased through October 10, 2011, Disneynature will be contributing a portion* of its home entertainment sales through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to the “See AFRICAN CATS, Save the Savanna” effort – an initiative developed between Disneynature and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to protect lions, cheetah, elephants, zebra, giraffe and a host other species in Africa. For more information on this release, please visit www.DisneyNature.com/AfricanCats.

AFRICAN CATS will be available for purchase as a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray+ DVD) for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada, a High Definition Movie Download for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./ $46.99 Canada and/or On-Demand (for pricing, please contact your television provider or favorite digital retailer).

Disneynature: African Cats (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)


BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: DIAMOND EDITION 3D- Disney’s Academy Award®-Winning animated classic comes to life in a whole new dimension for the first time ever on Disney Blu-ray 3D for in-home viewing – a transformation that reveals the magic, music, and majesty of the famous tale as you’ve never experienced it before – on October 4, 2011. The same Disney classic that taught us beauty is found within, now comes to life in spectacular Disney 3D bringing the characters, sound, and storyline to a whole new immersive dimension. Fans can once again meet and enjoy their favorite characters - Belle, Beast, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and more – in an entirely new fashion as if they were watching the film for the very first time.

Beauty and the Beast: Diamond Edition 3D will be available for purchase as a 5-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (1 Blu-ray 3D Disc of the Film + 1 standard Blu-ray Disc of the Film + 1 Blu-ray Disc of Bonus Features + 1 DVD Disc of the Film + Digital Copy Disc of the film) all for the suggested retail price of $49.99 U.S. /$56.99 Canada; and/or a 3D Movie Download for the suggested retail price of $49.99 U.S./$56.99 Canada.

Review: Disney's "The Fox and the Hound" is Still a Joy to Watch

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 79 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Running time: 83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, and Art Stevens
PRODUCERS: Ron Miller (executive producer), Wolfgang Reitherman (co-producer), and Art Stevens (co-producer)
WRITERS: (story) Larry Clemmons, Ted Berman, David Michener, Peter Young, Burny Mattinson, Steve Hulett, Earl Kress, and Vance Gerry (based upon the book by Daniel P. Mannix)
EDITORS: Jim Koford and James Melton
COMPOSER: Buddy Baker

ANIMATION/FANTASY/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of action and comedy

Starring: Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson, Sandy Duncan, Jeanette Nolan, Pat Buttram, Richard Bakalyan, Paul Winchell, Keith Coogan, Corey Feldman, John Fiedler, and John McIntire

This year is the 30th anniversary of the original release of the Walt Disney animated feature film, The Fox and the Hound (specifically July 10, 1981). It was re-released in 1988, which is when I first saw the film, when my late sister and I took our first cousin (then about five-years-old) to see the movie.

I liked the film when I first saw it, and Walt Disney Home Entertainment’s recent release of an anniversary Blu-ray and DVD of the film gave me a chance to see it again. I still like, and though it may not be as good as such films as Bambi or Beauty and the Beast, The Fox and the Hound is a visually beautiful film full of gorgeous colors. It is a personal favorite of mine because it recalls fond memories of days gone by.

The Fox and the Hound is based upon the Daniel P. Mannix novel of the same title, but the film removes the element of death that is apparently a big part of the novel (which I’ve never read). The film tells the story of two unlikely friends, a red fox named Tod and a hound dog named Copper. The film begins with a young red fox being orphaned by its mother. Big Mama (Pearl Bailey), an owl, sets it up so that the fox is adopted by Widow Tweed (Jeanette Nolan), who names the fox, Tod (Keith Coogan).

Meanwhile, her neighbor, Amos Slade (Jack Albertson), brings home a young coonhound puppy that he names Copper (Corey Feldman), and introduces to his old hunting dog, Chief (Pat Buttram). Tod and Copper become friends, but that angers Chief and Slade, who hunts animals, including foxes, for their pelts. Tod and Copper remain friends, but their natural instincts begin to drive them apart. When they reach adulthood, Tod (Mickey Rooney) and Copper (Kurt Russell) must confront the reality of their situation – that they are natural enemies.

The Fox and the Hound, Walt Disney’s 24th full-length animated feature film, is considered average by some. The story isn’t as complex as some Disney films, and the songs are indeed mostly average. However, the film is a parable about how society demands that individual accept predetermined roles even in spite of an individual’s better impulses to do something different, so I give this movie credit for that. Its themes of prejudice and friendship outside of social circles make it memorable, and those themes resonate with audiences, both young and old. The film deals with prejudice in an intelligent way, particularly because Tod is actually the lead character. Thus, the audience sees prejudice and persecution directly through the eyes of the fox, who is basically the inferior.

The film is also very well animated. The character animation is quite good, particularly in the facial expressions, depictions of emotions, and general movement of the animals. Glen Keane, then part of a young generation of Disney animators, does stellar work in supervising the animation in the scene of the fight between Copper, Tod, and the bear. This is one of the great animated sequences in the history of Disney films.

Pearl Bailey also delivers the film’s best voice performance as Big Mama, although Mickey Rooney is quite good as the adult Tod. The Fox and the House may not be considered one of Walt Disney’s best, but with its vivid colors, lush forest and outdoor backdrops, and dynamic character animation, it represents what Walt Disney Animation Studio does best – create the illusion of life.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

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Review: "Shoot 'Em Up" is Empty Calories (Happy B'day, Clive Owen)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux

Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive strong bloody violence, sexuality, and some language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Michael Davis
PRODUCERS: Rick Benattar, Susan Montford, and Don Murphy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Pau
EDITOR: Peter Amundson

ACTION

Starring: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci, Stephen McHattie, Julian Richings, Tony Munch, and Lucas and Sidney Mende-Gibson

Writer/director Michael Davis’ film, Shoot ‘Em Up, may not be the last word in action movies, but dressed in a hail of bullets, Davis’ film certainly seems familiar with the best gunfights from the last three decades worth of American and Hong Kong action movies.

Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) is a mysterious man, but the one thing obvious about him is that he seems to be the angriest, most hardboiled man in the world. Now, this mysterious loner gets to play Mr. Hero when he delivers a woman’s baby during an intense shoot-out. Mr. Smith discovers that the infant boy, whom he dubs, “Oliver” (Lucas and Sidney Mende-Gibson), is the target of a ruthless killer named Hertz (Paul Giamatti) and his seemingly endless supply of gun-toting henchmen.

Smith teams up with an old acquaintance, a prostitute named Donna Quintano or “DQ” (Monica Bellucci), and the duo try to protect Oliver until Smith can discover why the baby is a target. Running through a storm of bullets and facing every conceivable (and some inconceivable) permutation of a gunfight, Smith takes the battle to Hertz in order to see who will be the last man standing.

Shoot ‘Em Up is gleefully sleazy and cheerfully offensive, and the cast knows it. Because the leads Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti play it strait with nary a wink or a nudge at the audience, we buy into this implausible, but highly entertaining nonsense. We’re all having fun, and this hyperactive bash isn’t witless, nor does it shoot itself in the foot. Owen and Giamatti are both fine actors and true movie stars; they simply know just how much to give and how to give it.

Davis has conceived a feast of gunfights that are both breathtaking and imaginative. Owen and Giamatti pull them off. Owen’s gun battle in the sky late in the film is so good that it lifts Shoot ‘Em Up’s pedigree. The final duel between Hertz and Smith is a showdown that is as much classic Western as it is Coen Bros. or Sam Raimi.

A movie that is largely just one extended, elaborate shoot out seems like, at best, a bad idea, and, at worse, a giant stink bomb. Shoot ‘Em Up, however, is a high concept built around something movies do well – create superb visual imagery and captivating visual moments and sequences. It may be low brow, but Shoot ‘Em Up is full of artful fun, cinematic thrills, and even a laugh or two (or three) at the expense of the gun lobby.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

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"The Lives of Others" is the Best Film of 2006

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 123 (of 2007) by Leroy Douressaux


The Lives of Others (2006)
Das Leben der Andersen – original title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany
Running time: 137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)
MPAA – R for some sexuality/nudity
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
PRODUCERS: Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hagen Bogdanski
EDITOR: Patricia Rommel
2007 Academy Award winner

DRAMA/HISTORICAL/THRILLER

Starring: Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Thomas Thieme, Hans-uwe Bauer, Volkmar Kleinert, Ulrich Tukur, and Matthias Brenner

Das Leben der Andersen or The Lives of Others is a nuanced human drama that portrays life in the GDR – the German Democratic Republic – or as it was better known, East Germany, during the mid-1980’s. The film won the 2007 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year (as a representative of Germany), and this riveting indictment of life under state-sponsored altruism ultimately shows that humans have the ability to do the right thing even after doing the wrong thing so long.

The film opens five years before Glasnost and the ultimate fall of the Berlin Wall. East Germans live under the watchful eye of the Stasi, the state police (security). Two Stasi officers, Captain Gerd Weisler (Ulrich Mühe) and his superior and longtime friend, Lt. Col. Anton Grubitz (Ulrich Tukur) attend the premiere of the new stage play from the famous playwright, Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch). There, the two men meet the head of the Ministry for State Security, Minister Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme), who promptly informs Weisler and Grubitz that he does not trust Dreyman to be loyal to the SED – East Germany’s ruling Socialist Union Party – and suggests putting Dreyman under surveillance.

Eager to boost his own political career, Grubitz entrusts the surveillance to Weisler, who promises to personally oversee the operation. While Dreyman and his live-in girlfriend, actress Christa-Marie Sieland (Martina Gedeck), are away from their apartment, Weisler has the apartment systematically bugged. After a friend kills himself, Dreyman begins to secretly research and write about the GDR’s high suicide rates, which the government wishes to keep secret. This piques Weisler’s interest as something to watch. However, when he discovers the real reason for Hempf’s interest in Dreyman, Weisler becomes disillusioned with the Stasi’s goal to know everything about “the lives of others,” but what can one man do about it?

That this is Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s first feature-length film is difficult to believe. He makes it look easy to recreate a frightening time and place that rings with so much truth and authenticity. With such grace and subtlety, he indicts a system that uses the fear of imprisonment or death at every turn to keep the populace in line. Almost as bad as imprisonment is to have the government deny an individual the ability to practice his profession, as is tragically depicted in the matter of one of Georg Dreyman’s friends. The viewer can feel the soul-draining and spirit-killing oppression, or even worse, feel the desperation with which some are willing to sacrifice what little freedom and choice they have to serve the state. Donnersmarck rightly exposes how “for the good of state” and “for the security, safety, and well-being of everyone” not only robs the individual of his individuality, but also steals the right of all people of their right to freedom of expression. Ultimately, it leads to a spiritual death and perhaps, also a physical death.

The performances are great, in particularly Ulrich Mühe, whose Capt. Weisler is the center point of this narrative. Mühe skillfully sells Weisler’s jealous and blind zeal, and then takes us on Weisler’s journey of redemption in a manner that seems authentic. Martina Gedeck and Sebastian Koch as the high profile couple are fantastic in creating a full-fleshed out, three-dimensional and believable couple that loves and fights and then, makes up and expresses a deep love that goes beyond the physical into the spiritual.

For its triumphant portrayal of life and survival under monstrous oppression and state control, The Lives of Others is one of the five best films of 2007.

10 of 10

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 win for “Best Foreign Language Film of the Year (Germany)

2007 Golden Globes: 1 nomination for “Best Foreign Language Film”

"Naruto Shippuden: Bonds" on Blu-ray October 25th

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF THE HIGH FLYING NINJA ACTION OF NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

The World’s Most Popular Ninja Returns In A Brand New Anime Feature Film And Faces Down A Dangerous Airborne Menace!

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, is proud to announce the DVD and Blu-ray release of the latest NARUTO feature film on October 25th. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS will be the first Blu-ray release from the international anime franchise to hit North American shores, and is rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens and priced at $24.98 (Blu-ray) and $19.98 (DVD) in both the U.S. and Canada.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS is packed with dynamic action and visually stunning fight scenes, giving devoted fans and newcomers alike a chance to experience NARUTO SHIPPUDEN like never before! In the movie, a group of mysterious flying ninja have arrived from overseas to launch a sudden attack against the Hidden Leaf Village, leaving behind a wake of destruction. The group is revealed to be the “Sky Ninja” from the Land of Sky, a nation thought to have been destroyed by the Hidden Leaf Village long ago. To save their village, Naruto and his friends set out to stop this new threat. During the course of the mission, Naruto crosses paths with Sasuke, his friend who has parted ways from the Leaf Village.

“This is the second feature film in the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN story arc and fans won’t want to miss even a second of the high flying ninja action in this latest anime adventure!” says Brian Ige, Vice President, Animation. “October will be a month full of NARUTO fun as VIZ Media plans a special U.S. theatrical premiere of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: BONDS during New York Comic Con and also celebrates the birthday of the world’s most popular ninja the same month. Look for this latest release coming soon to retailers nationwide!”

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

More information on NARUTO is available at http://www.naruto.com/.

Negrotober

Welcome to Negromancer, the rebirth of my former movie review website as a movie review and movie news blog. I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I also blog at http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/ and write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps).

Computer problems have kept me from updating for a few days.  Thank you for your continued patronage.

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