Copacabana (1947)

Groucho Marx and Carmen Miranda star in this rather humorous movie entitled Copacabana. Although Amazon states that not all the material is first rate, I personally liked it very much. The plot moves along at a good pace and the action never stops in this zany, funny story.

Lionel Q. Deveraux (Groucho Marx) and his fiancée of ten years Carmen Novarro (Carmen Miranda) simply can't make it in show business despite years of trying their best. After they get kicked out of the famous Copacabana nightclub they must face the hotel night clerk who threatens to kick them of their hotel as well because they can't pay their bills. Lionel has a brainstorm: he'll become Carmen's manager and book her at The Copa no matter what!

At first, the owner of the nightclub, Steve Hunt (Steve Cochran), doesn't want to even try out Carmen--until she magically appears doing her number. Steve likes her after all; and trouble ensues when Steve asks Lionel if he has other acts to spice up the nightly entertainment at the Copacabana. Lionel gets very flustered but in another moment of good quick thinking he tells Steve Hunt he has another client, Mademoiselle Fifi. Steve orders Mademoiselle Fifi to appear at the club for an audition the next day--and Carmen and Lionel go into a panic.

Lionel and Carmen must figure out a way for Carmen to appear nightly as both Carmen and Fifi. It sure gets rough--and when Steve Hunt falls in love with Mademoiselle Fifi things become REALLY rough! To complicate matters further, Steve's secretary Anne (Gloria Jean) has a crush on Steve and can't get up the nerve to tell Steve. Meanwhile, every so often, singer Andy Russell, playing himself, sings a ballad--that's the only part of this movie that could have been cut. Andy sings wonderfully; but it doesn't really fit into the plot very well.

Many questions arise: Will Carmen be able to keep up the frantic pace, changing costumes every five minutes so that she can be Fifi and Carmen at the nightclub at the same time and not have anyone suspect anything? What if really big time agents hear of the glamorous Fifi--could this complicate matters? What will Steve Hunt and the rest do if big time agents want Fifi to star in a movie? Ultimately, will people come to believe that Fifi and Carmen are truly the same person? Or will Carmen and Lionel pull the whole thing off and never have them find out the truth? No spoilers here, folks--you'll just have to get the movie and watch to find out for yourself!

The choreography works well for the stage show numbers at The Copacabana; and the cinematography never falters either.

The DVD comes with no extra features--but the film is so good I'll ignore this disappointment anyway.

Overall, if you want a good Groucho Marx flick from his later years in movies, you can't go wrong with Copacabana. Carmen Miranda turns in a marvelous performance that would make most Hollywood screen goddesses green with envy! The supporting cast bolsters the antics as the plot moves along; and the film provides plenty of good laughs.

Enjoy!

Copacabana(May/47)stars the irrepressible Groucho Marx and the beautiful and talented Carmen Miranda.This movie was a first of sorts for both of them.It was Groucho's first film foray since his split with his brothers and this was Carmen's first strut before the cameras since leaving 20th Century Fox.If it wasn't for the talents of these two the film would be completely forgettable.

The story here involves a "talent agent" Lionel Deveraux(Marx) whose sole client is Carmen(Miranda).Desperate for a job for Carmen he goes to the Copacabana club,owned and run by Mr.Cochran(Steve Hunt)with his faithful secretary by his side Anne Stuart(Gloria Jean).He manages to weasel a quick audition for Carmen which seems to go well.However Cochran is not quite satisfied ,as he had more of a singing chanteuse in mind.After a quick change(she has her face partially covered with a veil) Carmen comes back as Mademoiselle Fifi and wows Cochran with a number in French.He tells Devereaux he will take BOTH the girls,which leaves Carmen and her agent trying to figure how to accomplish it without getting caught.As Carmen only has to travel from one floor of the Copa to the next all goes well until Devereaux crazily sells Fifi's contract to a competing agent for $5,000.Trouble is the new agent is going to get Carmen about $100,000 for starring in movies in Hollywood! Devereaux finds out and wants to get his client back but when that doesn't work he comes up with a scheme to get rid of Fifi.This also back fires as the police get involved and Devereaux is now a suspect in Fifi's murder.In the end Carmen and Devereaux fess up and they along with Cochran and his secretary live happily ever after.

The plot here is so threadbare and mundane that if it wasn't for the talents of Marx and Miranda it would be a total wipeout.Marx here is certainly entertaining but he always appears a little antsy and not quite comfortable with his role throughout the film.Though there are a few cute moments,in general the gags and jokes are just not what one would expect from him.However in his defense Groucho was working from a script which was weak to begin with.The glue that really holds this picture together is Carmen Miranda and she actually amazes me at times.She shows just how under appreciated a talent she was.Her acting is marvellous as she holds her own with everyone including a clowning Groucho and she sings not only in English and Portuguese but in French;and beautifully!Her first number is the famous "Tico,Tico" then she does her French number "Je Vous Amour".Her final number is at the end as she sings "Let's Go to the Copacabana".

Groucho even gets in on the singing routine with "Go West Young Man" surrounded by a bevy of beauties from the actual Copacabana club in NYC,who are seen throughout the film.In fact they open the film with a completely lifeless and forgettable "Hollywood Bound" number. Popular singer of the mid to late 40s Andy Russell(a Capitol recording artist of the day)is on hand and does well with the four main numbers he sings.He also does a nice turn with Carmen singing "He hasn't got a thing to Sell".

Technically the film has been transferred well.In fact this print is very good to excellent throughout.It is generally very crisp and clear.The DVD however has no extras of any kind to speak of.

As a trivial aside,you might have noticed,or will notice when you watch the film,that an assistant to the producer is one David Sebastian.David was the producer's brother in law and David was given the task of sussing out Carmen before production began because of rumours she was temperamental and hard to work with.Of course nothing could have been farther from the truth and in fact as circumstances would have it,David and Carmen married before the picture finished shooting! And as a tie in for the NYC premiere of the movie,Carmen appeared at the real Copacabana before its' release singing songs from the movie and performing for appreciative crowds.It certainly boosted attendance and improved what otherwise would have been even more lackluster reviews.

Certainly not a bad movie but far from great.The plot is thin and the gags weak and don't expect Marx to be up to the level he was at with his brothers.Carmen shines throughout and is the glue that holds this entire "model" together.Miranda fans will want to get this DVD for that alone,if for nothing else.

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I have always been a fan of the Marx Bros. and have most all their movies, This movies has only Groucho but it also has Carman Maranda. The plot is based around what might be a Marx Bros. adventure with Carman Maranda easly making up for the lack of the other brothers. I think this is an exelent movie for those who want to see Carnam Maranda and how talented she is. This movie is light harted fun and adventure and a peek into the styles of the time.

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Putting Groucho Marx and his cigar in a movie with Carmen Miranda and her fruit basket headdress certainly seems like a good idea, but nobody bothered to write a decent script for this 1947 musical comedy (and you can only think of all the Groucho one-liners that must have ended up on the cutting room floor). The plot, such as it is, has Groucho as Lionel Q. Deveraux, an agent who has one client, Carmen Novarro (Miranda). To make money he has her pose as both a Brazilian bombshell and a French chanteuse to fool nightclub owner Steve Hunt (Steve Cochran). There are some minor subplots involving romance, but they are of tertiary interest at best.

Of course for me the only worthwhile moments are when Groucho is on screen and making with the jokes. The musical numbers are okay, but nothing memorable. If all you have seen are parodies of Carmen Miranda in action then this exposure to the real thing has its value as well. She also works well as a foil for Groucho, which is not really that surprising. You can either be totally flustered or joyfully oblivious to Groucho's zingers and Carmen goes with the later strategy to good effect. "Copacabana" is no substitute for a "true" Marx Brothers film, but despite that inherent limitation it is not a bad film. It would rate a 3.5 but we round up because, after all, it is Groucho.

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Carmen Miranda with French Accent? Yep, and she's even better than Groucho. 2013 BD release

First a note that Amazon groups ALL releases of a film together and you will see reviews of DVDs going back to 2007 here. I always recommend to folks that they sort reviews by "newest first" and note the date of the review. Thisone is the 2013 BD release from Olive Films

This 1947 film the first that Groucho Marx made without his brothers is being reissued by Olive Films as part of their license from Paramount Pictures. It's a fun film with a standard "mixed identite;s" plot but there is enough music here to make up for it (as well some very attractive Copa girls. Groucho is very underused (you'll note the screenplay had THREE writers) but Carmen Miranda fans will love the fact that she sings her trademark "fruit hat" numbers as well as some with a French accent! Crooner Andy Russell gets a few too, as well as Gloria Jean.

The Blu-ray print is especially sharp and the original 1.37:1 aspect ratio is retained in the screen image.

There are no bonus features on the BD, not even the trailer. Thank you Olive for making the Paramount catalog available to movie fans.

I hope you found this review both informative and helpful.

Steve Ramm

"Anything Phonographic"

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Gigi (2009)

For those wondering why they should purchase another edition of "Gigi" on DVD, here are all the extras; however, if you own a Blu-ray, you might want to wait and pre-order Gigi [Blu-ray]. Other than the technical specs, the extras are the same on both versions.

Winner of 9 Oscars, "Gigi" was produced after the demise of the original 3-Strip Technicolor system, and photographed in the industry-standardized Eastmancolor process, which had a tendency to fade to reds and purples. For this new DVD release, Gigi has been photo-chemically restored from its original camera negative and safety separations to produce a much sharper and colorful image than has been seen in decades. It also contains a 5.1 audio mix created from the original multi-track source elements.

Disc 1 (Gigi '58): 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen * English DD5.1 Surround * French Mono * English, French and Japanese subtitles * Bluray specs: 1080P 2.40:1 Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 1.0 (Both Castilian and Latin), German 1.0, Italian 1.0 Dolby Digital, Subtitles (Main Feature): English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Subtitles (on Select Bonus Material): English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese

*New Commentary with Leslie Caron & Film Historian Jeanine Basinger

*The Million Dollar Nickel [1952 MGM short]

*The Vanishing Duck [1958 MGM cartoon]

*Theatrical Trailer

Disc 2: "Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi" The story of how 1958's Best Picture winner (the last of the classic MGM musicals) survived a turbulent production that included censorship battles over its daring sexual content and creative struggles between a studio in turmoil and a demanding, visionary director. Featuring an all-new interview with star Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Oscar-winning director Minnelli

Original 1949 Nonmusical version of Gigi starring Daniele Delorme in the title role and directed by Jacqueline Audry (in French Mono with English subtitles)

For those not familiar with the plot, Gaston (Louis Jordan) is the descendant of a wealthy Parisian family who rebels from the superficial lifestyle of upper class Parisian 1900s society by socializing with the former mistress (Hermoine Gingold) of his uncle (Maurice Chevalier) and her outgoing, tomboy granddaughter, Gigi (Leslie Caron). When Gaston becomes aware that Gigi has matured into a woman, her grandmother and aunt (Isabel Jeans), who have educated Gigi to be a wealthy man's mistress, enjoin on him to become her provider and on her to accept such a golden opportunity. However, true love adds a surprise twist to this Cinderella story that was actually filmed in Paris.

This review is of the DVD. If you haven't seen this 1958 classic in widescreen format, you really haven't seen it. Director Vincente Minnelli (Liza's father) fills each frame beautifully, often composing scenes reminiscent of the impressionist painters he so loved, such as Renoir or Seurat. Letterbox-haters, this is a good test of the superiority of seeing a movie the way the director intended, not crammed into the 1:1.33 TV screen. (The DVD includes both versions, so comparison comes cheap.)

The year is 1900. Gigi (Leslie Caron) is a pubescent young woman who becomes more and more attractive to millionaire Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jordan). But Gigi's family has a tradition of "Instead of marrying at once, it sometimes happens we get married at last." Making the tradition from pre-teen to beautiful young woman, awkward Gigi is "trained" in the arts of catering to men, such as choosing a cigar, walking elegantly and pouring coffee in the best French manner. The payoff for this kind of training is to occupy a rich young gentleman's bed--until he tires of this courtesan and moves on. While still in favor, the lady in question lives in luxurious style: tutor Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) advises her charge to "Wait for the first-class jewels, Gigi. Hold on to your ideals."

The team of Lerner and Loewe wrote songs for this musical that include such favorites as "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "The Night They Invented Champagne." On its initial release "Gigi" was touted as the cinematic equivalent of their smash Broadway play "My Fair Lady," as the movie trailer on this DVD makes apparent. Gigi won a slew of Oscars, beating out the presumed favorite, Susan Heyward in "I Want to Live."

It is no mistake that the compilation film of MGM's best musicals, "That's Entertainment," features Gigi as the last chronological example of the MGM high-quality, lavish musical. Minnelli would go on to direct many more films, including the 1960 musical "Bells Are Ringing" with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin, but "Gigi" was really MGM's "swan song" for expensive musicals, which were getting harder and harder to mount because of television and changing musical tastes (like Elvis).

With a lot of begging and pleading from the director and producer, the studio spent enough money in Hollywood to duplicate Maxim's restaurant and the Ice Gallery, a favorite meeting-place for the 1900 elite. Minnelli's visual wit is visible in the way he frequently uses real Parisian backgrounds of fountains and statuary, indirectly symbolizing and commenting on the mental state of the actor in front.

The whole cast is marvelous, including Hermione Gingold as Gigi's grandmother and the incomparable Maurice Chevalier as Gaston's uncle, Honore Lachaille. It is small wonder that this film is the very favorite--or close to it--among lovers of musicals. "Gigi" is first-class all the way. Even people who don't often purchase musicals may well enjoy the film for its masterly visual style and recreation of turn-of-the (last) century Paris.

What more can I say? Get ahold of this film RIGHT NOW while the price is so good. I don't think you'll regret it.

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Although MGM and other studios would continue in the genre for several more years, GIGI is the last great musical of Hollywood's golden age. It is also one of the few titles consistently mentioned when critics dispute which film should be considered the single finest musical ever created by Hollywood, a film that rivals the likes of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. Based on a novella by Colette, GIGI tells the story of a French family of the belle epoch--a family, it seems, of women who have made their living from the favors of famous men. Still something of a gawky schoolgirl, Gigi (Leslie Caron) is being trained to become a courtesan, and when she suddenly blossoms she captures the heart of Paris sophistocate Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jourdan.) But much to her family's horror, when the arrangements are completed Gigi suddenly declines!

The cast is absolutely flawless. Caron was born to play Gigi, and is as charming as the awkward youth as she is as the suddenly beautiful young woman; Jourdan's appeal as the worldly and world weary Gaston is tremendous. But the real joy of the cast is in its supporting cast, which includes Maurice Chevalier as Gaston's uncle; Hermione Gingold and Isabel Jeans as Gigi's grandmother and great aunt; and Eva Gabor as Gaston's current mistress. Chevalier and Gingold play their roles with precisely the right mixture of charm and severity, and their duet "I Remember It Well" is among the highlights of the film, while Jeans and Gabor give such memorable comic turns that their small roles become as memorable as the leads.

The Learner & Lowe score is equal their great Broadway success MY FAIR LADY, and offers such enjoyable and memorable songs as "Gigi" and "The Night They Invented Champagne," and the script equals and merges with the music to considerable effect. Filmed largely on location in Paris, the look of the film is incredibly rich, and director Vincent Minnelli maintains a sprightly sense of humor with just enough darkness behind the bubbles to make us aware of the seriousness of the tale. Mixing intimacy with tremendous surface splash, GIGI is a cultural treasure, a film to enjoy and cherish forever and certainly a worthy contender for that disputed title of "Hollywood's finest musical." A personal favorite and highly, highly recommended.

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The blu-ray of Gigi is a spectacularly beautiful job. The reds in Gigi's apartment almost overwhelm you. The beautiful pastels of the women's clothing are perfect, the blacks are deep and inky. I found no visible grain in the picture. My only real disappointment was that the Dolby-TrueHD soundtrack was pretty much all centered in the front speakers. There was very little surround to it, but after all, the source was not surround to begin with.

The extras area decent with a couple of commentaries and a half hour documentary about the making of the film, going over the casting, problems with the filming in Paris and the Hayes code restrictions and getting around them. A documentary short and a Tom and Jerry cartoon round out the extras, plus a theatrical trailer for the movie.

Gigi is a classic movie that has a beautiful release on blu-ray with this disc.

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Lerner and Loewe, and the scrumptious Nouveau brilliance of Cecil Beaton...what's not to like? I love this movie, and have owned this edition for some time. However, it seems to be missing two segments that I recall from seeing the movie in the theater at revivals: 1) There's an extended soft-focus montage of shots of Gigi in the middle of the musical number, "Gigi," in which Gaston (Louis Jourdan) is supposedly flooded with memories of the girl and realizes he's been in love with her for some time. This appears to have been cut from this DVD edition. 2) Though I can't be 100% certain, I believe Gigi wanders around the gardens a bit more, before launching into "I Don't Understand the Parisians," harumphing at length about her countrymens' insatiable appetite for amour. I don't see this on the DVD either. The DVD itself is pretty stripped-down, with virtually no extra features (except for some footage of an opening-night gala).

Many negative reviews here have commented on the inaccessibilities of a story set more than a century ago in a remote culture, or the inappropriate relationship between Gaston, ostensibly in his mid-30s, and the 15-year-old (in the Colette novella, anyway) Gigi. I suppose everything has to be about us, our times, and our mores?

"Thank heaven," not every story is about our own lives, our own cultures, or our own times. Life would be unbearably dull if all the world's stories were updated to add that focus-group-tested current of feminism, or attitudes about relations between the sexes that were carefully shopped by marketing flunkies to reflect prevailing American tastes. This story is a macro-focus view of a unique sliver of history and culture that, had it not been for Colette's sketch of it, none of us here would have any experience of, whatsoever. It might flatter us to have Caron, in her 1900 couture, suddenly rattle off pert Rory Gilmore-isms about dating and equality, but is that why we read and watch movies? To be flattered? To have ourselves and our beliefs reflected back at us, without exception? I'd hope not!!

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Miami Rhapsody (2011)

Miami Rhapsody stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Gwynn Marcus, one of several sibs of a prominent, wealthy, Jewish and dysfunctional family in Miami. Though things seem okay on the outside, tangled relationship problems threaten every quarter of the family. Her brother Jordan (Kevin Pollack) cheats on his pregnant wife with a high-strung model (Naomi Campbell); Her sister's (Carla Gugino) new husband is a pro-football player plagued by career insecurities and terminal cheapness; both of her parents (Mia Farrow and Paul Mazursky) cheat on each other; and she remains unhappy if only because she's the sort of person who's so concerned about happiness that she must strangle the happiness out of wherever it pops up in her life. Though she's engaged, Gwynn soon finds herself attracted to the male nurse (Antonio Banderas) who cares for the family's stroke-ridden grandmother.

"Rhapsody" is a lot like an overlong episode of "Sex and the City" without the neat closure of that show's half-hour snippets or the materialism or communal honesty of that show's leads. Gwynn obsesses over Miami and sex, noting that both are extremely popular despite the inherent messiness of either. I had never seen "SatC" when catching this flick back in '95. Instead I recognized the flick as more of a parody of Woody Allen movies the sort of rambling flick centered around a city (not NYC this time) and the hang-ups of those who endure it. The cinematography, Gwynn's neuroses (the film opens with Gwynn lamenting to a therapist), casting of Mia Farrow and even the opening credits hint at one of those small Woody Allen flicks that breezes through town without warning. "Rhapsody" works mostly on its stars' ernestness but also depends on some familiarity with that sort of Woody-ish kind of film. I doubt anybody who's never seen an Allen film will find this film more than amusing. Despite its dark take on marriage and relationships, I eventually married the girl I took to see it.

I had no idea that a lady NOT from Texas (and I LOVE my lady friends from Texas) could speak forever without actually taking a breath! :D This had me laughing so hard because SJJ's character was soooooooooo serious and apprehensive, AT's character was so disarmingly romantic and sincerely likeable, and her parents actually honestly shared their experiences candidly. Mia Farrow is light as a feather, as usual, with depths I've only seen in women who truly love their family, seemingly, effortlessly being there for whatever is needed. WONDERFUL film! This became a favorite the first time I saw it and watched SJJ spinning over the dance crowd! :D:D:D

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WATCHING THIS FILM MAKES YOU REFLECT ON YOUR OWN LIFE!! There is nothing make belief about it. It realy shakes you up about what people go through and what they feel about life and how they percieve it! Its probably true that most of the time we follow our parents life style...maybe not all the way...but they definately affect our way of thinking! And some people are able to change and make it thru the obstacles and some people are just not meant to be!! You should also check out the film PLAYING BY HEART with angelina jolie, shawn conneri and alot of other famous actors.! That too was a wake up call to how certain people find it easy to adapt and others are afraid of change while others fight for what the truley feel in their heart!

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This is one of those movies you either hate or love at first sight; certainly it has an Allenesque feel to it (It may not be a mere coincidence that Mia Farrow is one of it stars, doing a marvelous send-up of the kind of characters she used to play for Woody, from Hannah to [more closely] Alice Tate), but there's so much more to it than that!

Sarah Jessica Parker is the link in the story, but not necessarily the main knot. Take Antonio Banderas's turn parodying himself and the "suave latino lover" typecasts, or Carla Gugino's bubbly charm. Of course, good things always may come hand-in-hand with lackluster spots... one of the biggest here? Naomi Campbell sitting pretty and saying her lines with as much enthusiasm as a laptop computer with a british accent. She is typecast alrigtht, but instead of playing with the possibilities like Banderas did, she just walks by, remarkably far from fantastic.

Now that brings another contrast, for Gil Bellows' performance as Matt, the understated and understanding fiance is nothing short of great. His smile can lit up a room (common knowledge) and yet when he has to unburden his anger and pain he does it in a way that is quiet and convincing. No high drama, no storming through doors. His character is a man in love but pushed too hard by his beloved (Parker) so his empathy is believable to a fault. His is one of the most delightful moments of the film, including the possibility of salvage at the closing. Definitely not a masterpiece, but a good, entertaining and also aching film that is in no way forgettable after all.

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This is one of those movies that is funny, cute, with good acting and just overall good. Before Sarah Jessica's Sex and the City Days and Antonio Banderas "hotness" days, and of course Mia Farrow is also a great comedian and actress. Even Jeremy Piven (before Entourage) is in the picture and is just a funny movie. Highly recommend it.

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That's My Boy (2012)

At first look, the movie seemed like it would be cheesy and a bit of a drag, but it turned out 1000% better than we had hoped. Sandler's character was genuinely funny, very likable while being a complete screw up. I think this might have been his best role yet. All the supporting actors were great too, and while the story was predictable, it still flowed well. There weren't really any eye-roll moments, and we laughed out loud, which is rare with comedies these days. Even considering purchasing the movie to own :-)

Typical Adam Sandler but thats what you expect, Was a great funny movie. Vanilla Ice was funny he should do more Sandler movies.

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Adam Sandler is back in business! I was not expecting to laugh so much, but this movie is hilarious! Recommended.

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I love this movie. I laughed so hard my eyes got blurry. I will watch this movie several times more.

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Adam Sandler made a comeback to his roots with this one. Donnie Berger is one of the best movie characters of the past 15 years, and will surely hold up as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore have.

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Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

Me, Myself, and Irene was the much anticipated follow up to There's Something About Mary. The problem was that when it hit the theaters, the hype had gone, and the movie did not do as well as anyone could have anticipated. The truth is that many moviegoers missed one of Jim Carrey's funniest performances.

Carrey plays the mild mannered Rhode Island Trooper who has a split personality. He is now Hank, and Charlie. He then has to escort a prisoner back to New York so she can pay off a parking ticket. Renee Zellweger does a decent job as the prisoner, but the real laughs come from the over the top performance from Carrey. There are many gags in this film that push what should be done to people, but you are still laughing despite of all that you see.

This film was sadly overlooked in its theatrical run due to other summer films such as Scary Movie, and the horrible Nutty Proffesor II. This film is much better than both of those, and deserves a second look on video and DVD.

If you are a fan of the Farrelly brothers other movies, "King Pin", "There's Something About Mary", and "Dumb and Dumber", then you will really enjoy this movie. The Farrelly brothers and Jim Carrey are a match made in heaven. Their style suits Carrey's, as the movie is full of the physical comedy and sight gags which are Carrey's forte.

This is a pretty funny, though somewhat sophomoric, movie. It is also pretty filthy, at times, and definitely not for the movie goer of delicate sensibilities. There is something to offend just about everyone, so be prepared.

The basic premise of the movie is simple. A Rhode Island state trooper, Charley Baileygates, played by Jim Carrey, marries the prettiest and smartest girl in town. After she gives birth to triplets for whom Charley could not possibly be the father, for reasons obvious to the viewer, she later leaves him for another man, her soul mate and likely father of the triplets. She leaves Charley with the triplets, whom he raises as his own. The cuckolded Charley goes on to become the town joke and a seriously repressed man.

Eighteen years later, he snaps and begins to express his anger through an alternate personality and quintessential bad boy who calls himself Hank. Hank has attitude and plenty of it, and he lets everyone know that he is mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore. Charley's superiors send him to be evaluated, and he is given medication to control his psychiatric disorder.

Enter Irene, played by Rener Zellweger. Charley is asked to escort her to upstate New York where she is ostensibly wanted on a hit and run. Unbeknownst to either of them, she is being hunted down by dirty cops who are looking to silence her, as it is believed that she may have information that could take down her crooked ex boyfriend who is being investigated by the EPA.

During their trip, Hank, Charley, and Irene have a host of advantures, which are often hilarious, as Charley and Hank battle over who will become the dominant personality. The low key Zellweger is a good foil for the rubber faced Carrey's physical comedy. As Charley and Irene are pursued by the dirty cops, the now grown triplets, funny and profane, also add another element, as they go to their father's rescue.

The DVD has something for everyone, as it has a plethora of bonus features. It is a DVD that all Carrey fans should have in their collection.

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3.5 stars. This was a stronger movie than I expected. The first hour, I literally had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard. The cow scene, to me, was just priceless. But honestly, I didn't quite understand what Irene was supposed to know and how it involved the characters chasing them and frankly I don't care. This is by no means Carrey's best work, since he was obviously trying to channel Dirty Harry for his Hank character, but he successfully gets me to care about Charlie. His three 'sons' in my opinion were waaay over the top and could have been toned down quite a bit. Zwellger obviously did this film because she was dating Carrey at the time. The results was that she came across more as a prop than a real character and that's remarkable for someone with her talent. The Farrelly brothers' oddball comedy is a hit in most areas which makes it easy to recommend this comedy if you're truely in a goofy mood.

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In the recent past, there have been several motion pictures with plots involving split personalities, "The Nutty Professor" among others. "Me, Myself and Irene" is, without a doubt, the funniest, most creative and fresh take on the rare instance where two different types of the same individual are confined to one human body. Peter and Bobby Farrelly used Rhode Island as the setting for the well-executed plot that featured unheard of and hilarious comedic twists. Every unusual thing you couldn't think of, they (Farrelly's) did. As the movie begins, the plot is poured mildly onto the viewer. In a small town in Rhode Island directly north of South America, an honest, by the books police officer who gives 110% day in and day out is thrown a curveball in life due to his painstakingly forgiving personality. When his wife runs off with a dwarf, a line is crossed through the subconscious mind of Charlie (Jim Carrey) and, out of nowhere, an alter ego is born that takes the duty of making up for all the times that Charlie was taken advantage of. He is given the mischevous name Hank, and Charlie has a lack of control over him until he, more or less, fights him. Both halves of Jim Carrey are given the duty of safely escorting Irene (Renee Zellweger) to a court trial across the states, where Charlie and Hank switch places every now and then. Hank causes controversy to castmates in the movie with his role as a perverted and arrogant degenerate. Throughout all of this, Charlie does the right thing by taking care of his three young adult sons, whom have a quality that could not be guessed if you haven't seen or read about this movie. Although it is the funniest movie I have ever seen, it stands as one of the more offensive films that I have watched. Despite a few objectionable scenes, it blows away all of the long-running comedy classics, from "Blazing Saddles" to "Monty Python". As icing on the cake, there are cameo's from a couple of NHL superstars and a smooth looking tennis player.

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What the heck is going on with the studios that pull out favorites from their libraries and then proceed to put less content on the Blu-ray discs than they did for the DVD releases of the same films? Seriously, if you are going to put out a library title, make darned sure that you offer up a reason to actually spend the money to upgrade and move to Blu instead of just keeping the DVD release and living with it.

I love this movie. It is wicked, deranged, twisted, warped, and all of the other similar words you could pull from a Roget's thesaurus that mean the same basic thing. It is also insanely funny. Jim Carrey plays Charlie Baileygates, a member of the finest police force known to man. A man who is just too darned nice, and who has let the world treat him as a doormat for far too long. Eventually all of the abuse that Charlie has taken overwhelms him and an split personality arises within Charlie that releases 'Hank' upon the world. Hank is Charlie's mean and wicked alter ego, and thanks to an on screen battle between the two personalities and appearances by Hank at the absolute worst time for Charlie we get to see a riotously funny movie.

Renée Zellweger also stars and adds to the fun in this movie as an individual that Charlie must safely transport on a road trip. While transporting her, Charlie and Hank fight the internal struggle within Charlie to bring his personalities together so he doesn't wind up causing himself or others harm, as well as perhaps losing his dream job working as a Rhode Island state trooper.

The DVD version of the movie is a classic for me. It offers several nice extras, some of which were inexplicably left out of this Blu-ray release. I really wish the studio hadn't gone that route as I'd love to recommend this title for purchase, but rewarding such tactics just seems completely wrong to me. The bare minimum would be to keep everything that was on the DVD, and really customers should expect to get *more* for their money when being asked to 'double dip' on buying these library titles. Getting less is not to be rewarded, so I'd have to say rent this title or get the much less expensive DVD release instead of the Blu-ray here. While the picture quality is better on the Blu-ray, it's not enough of a bump to really make paying for this disc worth it. At least not for me. :-(

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Monster Brawl (2011)

"Tonight the most anticipated extreme sporting event ever." 8 monsters, including Frankenstein and Cyclops, square off in a UFC type movie to determine who is the toughest monster of them all. There really is nothing to review here. The movie is pretty much a back story of the two fighters and then the fight. Think "Celebrety Deathmatch" meets "Bubba Ho-tep". This is kind of entertaining and a little funny but really nothing more then watching "Wrestlemania" with horror monsters. Since that is all this is there is really nothing more to say and since there is no real substance it is hard to review. I won't give it a grade but I will say that if you are a fun of cheesy monster movies and UFC then this is made for you.

All this movie is about are monsters fighting and killing each other in a ring. You get some announcers on the side making remarks about the fights but that is about it. There is nothing special about this movie. I like monster movies as much as the next person but this movie was more lame than entertaining. I understand it was made from a low budget but please be more creative. The only part I liked was the monsters make up. So if you want to watch an actual movie stay away from this so called movie. There is nothing special with visual, sound, or storyline. I give this movie a D.

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Coming at you live from atop the Hillside Necropolis arena it's MONSTER BRAWL, a fight to the finish featuring eight of the world's mightiest monsters who will face off in hand-to-hand combat to decide who is the baddest of them all! It's "The Fight of the Living Dead!" MONSTER BRAWL kicks off with all of the mayhem and madness of a major sporting event as set within the dark confines of a traditional Gothic Horror film, but what could have easily become an instant cult-classic has instead turned out to be a major disappointment for both Horror and wrestling fans alike. Writer/Director Jesse T. Cook simply isn't equipped with the proper skills or resources to pull this off, which is a real shame considering the film's potential. The basic plot and cliched characters are to be expected, but there is no excitement to be found in any of the fights, and even our ringside commentators Buzz Chambers (Dave Foley) and Sasquatch Sid Tucker (Art Hindle) appear to be feigning interest in the event. Cook provides a moody graveyard setting and serviceable make-up effects care of The Gore Brothers, however the only real praise belongs to the team at Phantom City Creative, who bring the look and feel of a major sporting event to life in their post-production title cards. Given the continued popularity of mixed martial arts and professional wrestling around the world, it is a surprise that this project was not picked up by a larger production company, who may have been able to transform MONSTER BRAWL into this decade's Celebrity Deathmatch.

-Carl Manes

I Like Horror Movies

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My buddy and I loved this movie. It is a mix between a wrestling pay per view event,and mortal kombat the video game with classic movie monsters. I have my fingers crossed for a sequel!!

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OK. SO IF YOURE A WRESTLING AND HORROR FAN. THIS IS DEFINATELY THE MOVIE FOR YOU. ITS VERY INDI BUT ITS GORY, GREAT, AND THERES WRESTLING

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Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2-Disc Unrated Edition + BD Live) (2007)

Ya'd figure that classic zany comedy was dead. Sure, there have been ambitious stuff, but more often than not, a lot of today's "comedy" movies are either blatent "gross-out" fests written for 12-year-olds, or the tired "let's-make-a-satire-of-the-current-favorite-genre" formula. Truthfully, the last great American comedy for me was "There's Something About Mary." Sure, it was a stupid-humor film, but it had genuine laugh-out-loud surprises and, more importantly, heart. Basically, it was a sweet romantic comedy with slapstick thrown in for good measure.

Judd Apatow, whether he's directing or producing, seems to be the guy who'll revive well-done dumb-guy humor. All by himself, judging by the list of hits he's thrown out. "Walk Hard," unfortunately, was the least commercially success ful of them, and for what reason I don't know. He did satire right, focussing on one character through a much-travelled formula, created a believable (and funny) body of work for the fictionally tributed, got a great director in Jake Kasden, and casted extremely well by putting veteran John C. Reilly in the lead.

This would be the most important thing, as few realize how talented and multifacited Mr. Reilly really is. Sincerity in character? He makes poor Dewey a sweetly believable guy who'd be really entertaining in any story he was plunked in. Creative? John C. can keep up with the rest of the brilliantly funny folks in the film. Most importantly, can he sing? Hell yeah! Reilly toured through Boston a few years back in a musical stage adaptation of the Ernest Borgnine everyman love story, "Marty," and carried a hell of a tune (even before "Chicago"), showing he has the singing chops. In a more sane universe, Reilly would be headlining more major films, rather than being relegated to "character actor" or "second banana" status.

As mentioned before, this is satire done right built around a well-rounded comedy character, rather than a series of sight gags (although the film has those aplenty). Kasden and Apatow took every cliche about the recent musical biopic craze and ran them through the Dewey Cox prism. What made it even more funny was the character and their viewpoints. It looked like every biopic out there, and made most fun about that.

"Walk Hard" deserved more box-office love, but it will be a long-lived successful film because of home video. There are worse fates than that.

(3.5 *'s) Judd Apatow's `Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story' is a familiar project. As the producer of `The Forty Old Virgin, 'Knocked Up,' and 'Superbad,' he takes another irreverent comedy, this time a parody of music biopics of popular music icons. Sometimes savvy, sometimes obvious, the movie is mostly an effective and witty trip through pop music history.

One of the best decisions was to cast John C. Reilly in the title role. Watching the film, I kept thinking Will Ferrell could have been cast as Dewey Cox. As much as I like Ferrell, his overexposure to such familiar loopiness may have made the movie overwrought. With Reilly's fine performance as "Lefty" in 'A Prairie Home Companion,' they made the right choice. There's a certain restraint he brings to the role that's welcome and refreshing.

For those who have seen `Ray,' and, especially `Walk the Line' the referenced parody will be clear, but those who haven't undoubtedly will be in for a fun time, too. It's basically a rags to riches story about a man from the South who gets a recording contract much the way Elvis and Johnny Cash did.

On the down side, tragedy is given a lighter treatment. Anyone who's read Cash's autobiography or seen 'Walk the Line' will recognize when Dewey accidentally cuts his brother in half that it's a reference to Cash's brother who lost his life to an electric saw. Throughout the movie he's haunted that he was the "wrong one" to die. They don't exactly glamorize drug use, though, which shows Dewey always making the wrong informed choice. (Backstage he's tempted by a band mate who says, "You don't want to use this stuff." Dewey always asks, "What does it do?" "It takes away every negative thought..." as if he chides.)

The real pluses come as Dewey goes through his phases of music. He has his early rockabilly years. He rocks during the early sixties, gets cosmic and hippie later, and becomes the familiar casualty of substance abuse and ego (with the usual infidelities) in his life. Some of the best scenes include his meeting with the squabbling Fab Four and an interview where he tries to reach the mainstream with a comeback family TV show. Fumbling with questions, Dewey reveals that he's off PCP and his estranged children will be watching his program. Some family man.

While not a comedy classic, `Walk Hard...' is more often unpredictable than not with a witty script that is delivered with a brisk comedic pace. It had me laughing loud and often, and I'll bet you will, too.

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I have never before been inspired by a satirical, fictional comedy. (Is that half redundant?) But by the end of Walk Hard, I felt fantastic! That was the unexpected curve. The comedy though, is what I was after and I got it by the fistfuls! Sight gags, the absurd, live action caricatures of famous people, plenty of drug humor, etc. There were aspects of Steve Martin being channeled by John C. Reilly. And, I feel you can't really go wrong with John. He's not Academy Award material, he's just a perfect character actor. I enjoyed immensely his will to succeed coupled with his faulty decision-making processes. He was an idiot, but an intensely focused idiot. They basically made fun of every "unknown boy from nowhere makes it big" movie that came before it. And they did it well. The beginning had me wondering if the level of comedy was going to be elemntary school or not. And maybe it was. Who cares? It got funnier to me the longer I watched. And it even had a moral to it.

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Why this film didn't do better at the box office, I'll never know. If you enjoyed Spinal Tap, then you should certainly enjoy this film. You'll enjoy it more if you have a general knowledge of the history of rock 'n roll, since some of the gags run pretty deep. I hardly ever buy videos, preferring to move on to something I haven't seen, but I expect to enjoy this one over and over for years to come. I was shocked that the title song didn't receive an Academy Award nomination for best song.

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This movie's a classic! It's funny, but not in the current definition of "funny" these days. It's funny like the old Leslie Neilsen / Airplane / Naked Gun movies were. With jokes that are truly humorous without relying on stupid gross-out humour like most movies these days. I rented it because I was in the mood for something ridiculous, and what I got was much more than I expected! Not only is it good for a laugh, but John C. Reilly can really sing! And kudos to the costume designer! The movie spans 60 years, and they nailed the period clothing to a "t".

Very funny, ridiculously smart, well acted, and worth watching.

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Gray's Anatomy (The Criterion Collection) (1997)

Incredible writer and monologuist Spalding Gray takes us on an incredible journey, around the world and through his soul. Though based on his his attempts to avoid dangerous eye surgery, the story is really about meeting fascinating characters and Gray's own fascinating neuroses. If the idea of a monologue sounds boring to you -basically Gray sitting and telling you a story -I especially challenge you to try this out.

While dry, Gray's humor keeps you laughing out loud. You'll find it mesmerizing, and at the end of your own journey through the film, changed for the better. Highly recommended.

Spalding Gray's death has left us poorer than when we started. How evident this is after viewing this edgy, moving, often riotous monologue directed by Stephen Soderbergh.

A macular "pucker" leaves Gray virtually blind in one eye. Born into Christian Science, Gray leaves the church when his CS practitioner demands he renounce allopathic medicine to receive help. Gray's breathless journeys through alternative healing remind us that we all face mortality at any cost, and that no religious or philosopical system will spare us the inevitability of suffering or dying.

What I loved most about this film were Gray's frequent outbursts of humor -framed in frustration, delivered in sentences which resonate like poetry in the mind, this guy rages -quite literally -against the dying of the light. And I would add that this is a film best viewed late at night.

While Soderbergh's direction is occasionally heavy-handed and selfconscious, it is still creative and ambitious and will never disqualify this film from classic status.

The movie doesn't benefit from the opening montage of "eye horror stories" delivered by subjects who almost lost their sight, and who occasionally make an unwelcome visit into Gray's monologue. Happily, Gray gets 'round them.

The man had a brilliant, brilliant mind and a great heart. Watch this, and the only thing you risk is awareness of his absence, and it is a sad feeling.

I just loved this movie, or should I say: I loved this mirror.

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This is a wonderful example of the 'gift of gab' that is, the art of telling a story. Spalding Gray has a story to tell mind you, the plot is not nearly as interesting as, say, a Jedi Knight fighting a battle in a galaxy far, far away. It is not so much what he has to say, but how he says it. If one of your favorite childhood memories includes sitting around a campfire listening to someone spinning a yarn about a headless ghost, then you might enjoy this more adult version of a scary story. Substitute the encounter with a headless horseman with an even more frightening trip to see a doctor to diagnose an incurable medical condition and you may start to understand this movie. It was fascinating listening to his tangential logic, flashbacks, and digressions of a gifted story teller. It is also somewhat of an insight into the mind Spalding Gray, whose favorite story was the life experience he gained by walking around Washington Square Park several times, breathing in all of life's drama.

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If you enjoyed "Swimming to Cambodia", then you will enjoy this film also. If you haven't scene "Swimming to Cambodia" buy this but watch "Swimming to Cambodia" first.

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once you get it, you will never forget it: to wit, how unique and singular it is to be a great storyteller. we discover this by the way this show opens. a slew of people from everyday life tell their stories of how an eye condition altered their lives. i found myself nodding off as i sat through this, admiring the infrared film but finding the rest of it yawn inducing. then i was electrified by spalding gray's coming onscreen. by solely using his monolog skills, he holds me spellbound while he relates his eye injury story. it is a story i will never forget because its telling sears it into my memory.

it was sad to realize anew what a huge talent we lost with his suicide in 2004. ironically, with life later imitating art, spalding gray was in a serious car collision after he filmed this. he could not handle the pain, the constant physical therapy, the constant use of crutchess, etc., this in part led to his suicide. in this film we watch his hysteria over the prospect of a low risk eye surgery for the not painful condition of macular puckering in the eye. he was a complete mess over this eye problem alone but in a very woody allen like neurotic way.

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