Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

Every review I've read has been quasi-negative but not being one to listen to critics, I took a chance. I was very pleasantly surprised. Depending on why you go to a movie, you may not like this because it is not escapism. It deals with real life issues and things most of us can relate to. I found the movie to be very refreshing and all the characters real to life. The main character is a single mom trying to raise a precocious son. She has to deal with a dead-end relationship and an aging father, an irresponsible sister and a job she hates. How she copes and what she does is more believable than most of the "chick flick" films out today. I think this is one of the better movies in a sea of fluff to spend time and money on. Amy Adams is wonderful and it is always refreshing to see Alan Arkin. Please don't dismiss this film because of iffy reviews. It is worth going to see.

I cannot understand those who were bored by this film. I was entranced; good performances all around married to a well-developed plot with skillful writing yielded a totally satisfying experience. As one who did not much care for "Little Miss Sunshine", I was certainly not hoping for a repeat. And did not get it.

The guy at my Blockbuster store said "Oh, good movie. My wife and I watched it three times; we really liked it," when we checked it out. Three times may be a bit much, but it held us. The subplots that go nowhere (the blood bank gal, the problems in school) were, to me, perfect expressions of the fits and starts that life endlessly presents. Not everything gets tidied up; not everyone sees our attempted generosity as we do; not all stories have a satisfactory conclusion. Sometimes people are jerks, bad things happen, and we get stuck. One other pleasure was that the two people who seem to be experiencing the first sparks of interest do not hook up. How nice for a story to allow two lonely people to stay lonely, at least for now.

The other thing I truly liked about this film is that everywhere else Hollywood despises low paid labor and those who perform it. (In the movies that is; in real life, where stars are lining up defending illegal immigration so their lawns, pools, and bathrooms can be cared for at bargain rates, things are different.) But a maid and a small shop owner are treated respectfully. These are hard-working people trying, not terribly successfully, to make a go of things, and the film never laughs at them or insults them or condescends to them. Thank you.

And it wonderfully destroys some idiotic fantasies. Suicide is not glamorous and poetic, not heroic or brave; it is the ultimate act of self. You can not claim to love people when you splatter your brains across their floor and allow them to clean up the mess. That is absolute selfishness. It is not love. Love means working hard to help people, giving up something of value. Love is not motel sex. It is not sex at all; it can, and often is, the exact opposite. Love is not glorifying the old days, hoping they come back. Love is living in the now, doing what must be done, giving up what must be cast aside, and pulling together despite all the reasons there are to pull apart. This film shows that with tenderness and beauty.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program A very enjoyable quirky film which is after alot more then quick easy laughs. This film gets pretty serious at times and what an enjoyable ride it is made easier by the stellar cast. Amy Adams as Rose and her sister Norah, Emily Blunt, tend to Rose's 7 year old son, Oscar and their own cleaning business they are starting. This is no ordinary cleaning business but a crime scene clean up after the bodies have been moved and evidence secured and all that remains are the blood and the remanants of the deceased's life. What I loved about this film is the humanity of the characters, real people, real problems and real situations that have you pulling for them even as you shake your head at their mistakes. Alan Arkin is a joy as the cranky, scheming father of Rose and Norah, he is at a place as an actor that he brings so much of what you expect from him as an actor while also bringing such subtle differences to all his characters that you never feel you're seeing the same character you might've seen in another movie. Amy Adams is a shining revelation of eternal optimism and she has you pulling for her as she tries win over her own demons. Emily Blunt and Jason Spevak as Oscar are wonderfully funny and real. There is a real honesty amidst some outrageously funny stuff that never panders or lectures and never cheats the audience. I only felt cheated at the end when the movie ended. I wasn't ready to leave this family behind and wanted to live with them a little longer. That is a good thing when a movie leaves you wanting more.

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When Rose (Amy Adams) needs to make money to put her son Oscar (Jason Spevack) into a private school when he keeps getting in trouble at his regular school, she turns to her unreliable sister Norah (Emily Blunt) to help her start a bio-hazard removal/ cleaning business. Even knowing that part of their job is to clean up after dead bodies, they still don't anticipate the job being as difficult as it is. From Norah trying to find the daughter of a suicide to Rose dealing with the personal issues of being a single mom and having an affair with a married cop, the sisters deal with life and a job that's out of the ordinary.

Christine Jeffs (Sylvia) and first time screenwriter Megan Holley came up with the idea for Sunshine Cleaning from the story of two women from Seattle they heard on a National Public Radio "All Things Considered" segment. In real life the women are actually best friends who own a biohazard removal/ cleaning service, but naturally with all adaptations things are changed to better move along the story, or to help the audience to identify with the plight of the main characters.

By choosing a pair of regular women to go into a job of this nature, the filmmakers have done a great job of making a movie that has a hint of originality. Also, by choosing a profession of this nature, the movie is also able to deal with elements of life and death, moving on and dealing with the darkness in our past. The movie effectively communicates it's messages while never being overbearing in it's way of dealing with them.

The acting in this movie is great as would be expected from this cast of characters. Twice Oscar nominated Amy Adams (Junebug, Doubt) does a great job as the more stable sister who can't let go of her past. Oscar winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) returns to familiar territory as the patriarch who is always trying new business ventures to try and help his family out, internally showing signs of inadequacy having raised his daughters as a single father. The real winner in the cast is the up and coming Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, The Young Victoria) as the unstable daughter who can't get over elements of her past that seemingly tear at the fabric of her being.

I really liked Sunshine Cleaning, but I kept getting the feeling that the filmmakers were trying to exert their independence in this indie film by being a lot like other films. Don't get me wrong, homages are the highest form of flattery and some of my favorite filmmakers make great living by making full films based on homages. The problem comes when watching the entire film makes you think of one film in particular in structure and in characterizations. Also following the indie model means that the characters often times have quirks that don't really further the characterization, but are just there to exert the filmmaker's passion to be non-mainstream.

I do highly recommend the movie, and intend to add the film to my collection. I will admit that the indie-isms have a tendency to frustrate me at times, but that doesn't mean that you'll feel the same way when you watch this film. If you like movies like Little Miss Sunshine, you'll enjoy this movie.

4/5

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There are mega movie blockbusters that beat down the doors of the local multiplex, pushing the competition out with promises of big bucks and taking over 10 of 18 screens at one shot. Sure, this means that the movie in question will be able to handle all comers the first weekend. But what about the little guy? What about the small independent movies that don't garner big budget advertising or multiple screens? These films play art houses and special theaters. Or they arrive on DVD with the chance to be found. SUNSHINE CLEANING is one such film.

We all have dreams of where we want to go with out lives. Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) was the head cheerleader, the girl most likely to succeed, the one in love with the big man on campus. Those dreams died and she moved on, becoming a single mother who works for a house cleaning service to make ends meet. She continues to see Mac (Steve Zahn), her knight in shining armor and now a homicide cop, but he's married with children and unlikely to leave.

When Rose's son Oscar (Jason Spevack) becomes more than the local school can handle, Rose must find a way to not only do better for herself but to be able to afford a private school for her son. During one of their liaisons, Mac suggest to her she start her own cleaning business cleaning crime scenes. The pay is great and she has time for her son.

After thinking it over, Rose takes on the task and recruits her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) to help. But Norah has problems of her own, mainly a rebellious streak that stems from Rose being overprotective and having to deal with a never present mother. But she goes with the flow and helps out Rose, making money for herself as well.

The pair start slowly with tips from Mac about which scenes to go to first. Stopping in a local warehouse cleaning supply store, Rose makes friends with the owner, a one armed shop keeper named Winston (Clifton Collins Jr.). Seeing the problems they are having, Winston helps her along the way with suggestions about cleaning supplies and classes she might want to take.

Their first job is one that almost makes them give in. A trailer whose owner died several days before being found, Rose and Norah do the job at hand. As they clean, Norah finds a fanny pack that belonged to the home's owner that contains a packet of pictures tied with a bow of a young girl from childhood to graduation, a treasure. It hits Norah that this woman held on to these pictures for a reason and rather than toss them out, she holds on to them and searches for the woman in the photos.

The business goes well at first and Rose seems to be getting along fine. But a chance encounter with an old school chum just before she left her old job leaves her feeling hollow and disappointed in the life she expected but that never came to be. Invited to the woman's baby shower, she makes a point of planning to attend to relive her glory days with the women she knew then.

Norah seeks out the young woman and finds her in a staling type way. They become friends without the woman knowing the real reason for her meeting Norah. The resolution to this friendship is unexpected and more real than one would think.

The chance to make it big comes with a call from State Farm Insurance who wants to hire Sunshine Cleaning for a job. Excited by the prospect, Rose shrugs off her responsibilities to go to the shower and sends Norah to do a job by herself. Face it, a happy ending is not waiting around the corner. Perhaps.

The movie does a great job of storytelling, not only moving along at a nice pace but giving us characters who feel real and who we can care about as it unfolds. Rose is a determined woman who wants the best out of life but for some reason just can't seem to reach the goals she sets for herself. Adams does a fantastic job as Rose, bringing home the despair and hope seen in the character from one moment to the next.

Emily Blunt does an outstanding job as well, offering a sister with problems that began years ago searching for the answers the questions she's not even quite sure she knows to ask. A history that involves the girl's mother and what became of her results in one of the most touching images towards the end of the film.

SUNSHINE CLEANING may not be everyone's cup of tea. It's low key, it feels like it's in the real world we want to escape while watching a movie, but at the same time it offers hope and a spark of life seen in few films. This may not be the biggest or most expensive film released this week, but it is one that has plenty of heart in its center and worth giving a watch.

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Frankenhooker (Blu-ray) (1990)

Frankenhooker, it just sounds like a good time, doesn't it? I've been waiting for this dvd for a long time now. I saw this film way back when it first came out. Most folks who also saw it back then might remember the cool vhs box that said, "Wanna Date?" when you pressed it. That was a great little gimmick, wasn't it? That kind of thing was never done much, but I do remember the box for the movie The Dead Pit(which sucked by the way, or at least it couldn't live up to it's cool cover) which had the puffed out 3-D zombie on the cover who's eyes would flash green when you squeezed the box. If anyone can remember any more of those cool vhs boxes, let me know. Anyway, I was confident that Frankenhooker would hold up after all these years and it still does. Frankenhooker is the kind of film that Drive-in theaters were made for. As the title suggests, this isn't a movie taking itself seriously. It was directed by Frank Henenlotter, the B movie crusader who brought us Basket case and Brain Damage. If you've seen either of those films and thought they were dumb, you might as well stay away from Frankenhooker coz it's in the same vein. Frankenhooker herself doesn't show up til about an hour into the film, but that's all fine and dandy coz there's enough bare breasts, exploding hookers(and guinea pigs), musclebound pimps, huge crack rocks and head drilling to keep you entertained. Plus the zany, mumbling performance by James Lorinz as the mad doctor really carries the movie along. He's got some pretty damn funny lines, especially in the scene where he's inspecting the hookers. Frankenhooker herself is an amusing parody of Elsa Lanchester's Bride Of Frankenstein performance. For the mostpart her dialogue consists only of lines used by the hookers who's body parts have all gone into constructing her. It doesn't really make sense that she would do this(or that men would explode when touching her), but who the hell is watching this for scientific accuracy? Definitely worth viewing again if you haven't seen it in a while. Also definitely worth viewing if you want a good time. Hell, my wife even liked this movie! Though I must say the price tag on this one's a bit high considering what's on the disc and all(a couple of interviews and a commentary. Nothing THAT special), but I guess it all boils down to how much you want it. It might be worth it if they'd have made the dvd case talk.

A Minor Classic for Cult fans.

Synopsis: After the tragic death of fiancée Elizabeth who died due to a freak lawnmower accident her fiancée Jeffery Franken dreams up a too bring her back to life. He decides to give her new body by taking the best body parts from various prostitutes. After he reassembles Elizabeth he gets more then he bargained for when she takes on the persona of the prostitutes who body parts now make up her body and she goes on a rampage through the streets of New York looking for John's who are looking for a date.

Frankenhooker is like a cross between Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and the film Weird Science. Who hasn't dreamed of or wouldn't want to put together a perfect woman. Unlike these other films that explore a similar idea the plot for Frankenhooker sees Jeffrey Franken who wants to bring his dead girlfriend because he misses her and not to advance science. It is also amusing how he wants to give her the perfect body when while she was alive she battled a weight problem.

One of the films strongest assets is its special effects which while at times not perfect they still get the job done. The most memorable scene is when a group of prostitutes start smoking the super crack Jeffery Franken made and then they all start to explode. The most colorful and charismatic character in the film is a pimp named Zorro who brands his ladies with a Z that he burns into their arms. Patty Mullen (Doom Asylum) is also really good especially once she takes on the persona of Frankenhooker. She also gets some of the more memorable lines in the film. James Lorinz (The Sweet Life) is wonderful as the prototype mad scientist Jeffrey Franken and his enthusiasm for his work is infectious.

Part of Frankenhooker's charm is that the film never takes itself seriously. Fans of director Frank Henenlotter who go into the film expecting the gore and violence to be on the same level as his previous films Basket Case and Brain Damage might feel under whelmed since this film relies more on comedy on less on these two things. Overall Frankenhooker is a biting satire that cleverly pays homage to the Frankenstein legacy.

The BluRay:

Frankenhooker comes on a 50 GB dual layer BluRay. The film is presented in a 1080 progressive anamorphic widescreen. For this release Synapse Films have created a brand new 2K high definition transfer from original vault elements. Colors and flesh tones look accurate, black and contrast levels look consistently good and details look sharp throughout. There are no problems with compression and DNR is never an issue.

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround mix in English and a DTS-HD MA Stereo mix in English. Both audio mixes sound great, with the differences between the two being minimal. Dialog always comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced and the more ambient aspects of the soundtrack are well represented.

When compared to the Unearthed Films DVD release, the audio / video presentation for this new release from Synapse Films is a substantial upgrade.

Frankenhooker was originally released on DVD in 2006 by Unearthed Films and all of the extras pertaining to the film have been carried over for this release. Extras include a theatrical trailer for the film (1 minute 33 seconds anamorphic widescreen), three interviews, the first interview with actress Patty Mullen (8 minutes 53 seconds 4:3 full frame), the second interview with actress Jennifer Delora (19 minutes 32 seconds anamorphic widescreen) and the third interview with special effects advisor Gabe Bartalos (21 minutes 4:3 full frame) and a image gallery titled `Jennifer Delora's Frankenhooker photo scrapbook' and a audio commentary with director Frank Henenlotter and Gabe Bartalos. The interviews with Patty Mullen and Jennifer Delora, both ladies are candid as they recall in great detail working with director Frank Henenlotter and their experiences making Frankenhooker, while the interview with Gabe Bartalos covers the make-up effects and this segment is filled with a lot of cool behind the scenes footage. Topics covered in the audio commentary track with Frank Henenlotter and Gabe Bartalos include technical aspect of making the film like the special effects, casting and other behind the scenes stories. Also included with this release is reversible cover art. Overall Synapse Films gives Frankenhooker its best audio / video presentation to date.

Written by: Michael Den Boer with Thanks to Michael.

Buy Frankenhooker (Blu-ray) (1990) Now

I experienced the joy of getting this HD release a bit early. Don May and Synapse Films have delivered the goods yet again.

The picture quality is of the highest class with a very filmic look. It's Blu-rays like this that make me wish I had the space (and the money) for a proper home theater room with projector. There's a very fine layer of grain present that looks natural but unobtrusive, the remainder of the image very detailed and representative of its film roots. There are some emulsion scratches here and there, but nothing that will take away one's enjoyment. A little more scratch cleanup would have been appreciated in this case, but it's not a problem.

Most of the extras from the Unearthed Films DVD have been carried over, save for a short five-minute photo gallery and some trailers for other films. The exciting trailer for "Frankenhooker" is thankfully in HD; I wish more companies would follow Synapse's example and offer HD trailers of the films, particularly when it comes to these cult classics.

The film itself, if you haven't seen it, is a riot--very quirky humor with a bit of a twisted side. I can't imagine anybody not laughing at the exploding hookers scene, or the female body part monsters toward the end (including what special effects artist Gabe Bartalos named "the Titty Twister"--you'd have to see it to get it). The special effects in these scenes are well-made and with high comical effect. No gore here, just hokey fun. It's difficult to really call this a horror film; whereas Henenlotter's other films--the "Basket Case" series, "Brain Damage", and "Bad Biology"--all exhibit rather horrific subject matter and scenes fused with the humor, "Frankenhooker" is straight-up comedy.

The performances all around are entertaining with James Lorinz (a.k.a. "the Doorman from 'Street Trash' ") and Patty Mullen (vivacious Penthouse Pet) leading the show exceptionally well. You'll adore Lorinz' mad scientist depravity, drilling holes into his head to help him think, and Mullen's jittery head movements, face spasms, and snippy dialog.

I suck at writing film reviews, but there it is! Thought I'd talk about the film in addition to the video quality for once.

This is a highly recommended Blu-ray Disc. If you're a fan of the film, ditch the DVD and pick this up; and if you've never seen it before and can laugh at the stranger things in life, buy it and show it to all your friends. Then congratulate Don May for a job well done and pick up every one of Synapse's other Blu-ray Discs (and spam him--lovingly, of course--with requests for "Street Trash" and the remainder of the Coffin Joe trilogy to come out soon on the format).

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What a classic piece of cheese. The premise is that a guy invents a robotic lawnmower that runs amok and cuisenarts his virgin girl friend. He decides to rebuild her, but driven by lust, he realizes like the Million Dollar Man he can build her better. He invents a powder that causes the user to explode so he can easily harvest the body parts (since he isn't a surgeon or anything) and what better source of hotter body parts than the local street corner, hence the roomful of naked exploding hookers! Once rebuilt, all of the cellular memories of the hookers bits and pieces take over the virginal girlfriends head and she sets out to look for "A Date!"

So cheesy. So twisted! So very off the wall and unique. I have never watched this movie in daylight. It comes out when my friends are over and the beer and pizza needs a cheese chaser.

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In 1982 Frank Henelotter brought you "Basket Case", then in 1988 he gave you "Brain Damage" now in the good start of the 1990's he gives you the craziest movie of all time.....Frankenhooker!!!

You want to know something reall strange....after watching this movie three times in a row I figured why Henelotter got no true mainstream credit for this movie. Think to yourself for a second and look at the main character Jeffrey Franken....who does he remind you of? Think hard for a second..........that's right good old Jeffrey Dahmer but with out the cannablism.

This movie came out one year before Dahmer got caught and arrested. He does everthing that Dahmer did (Except for eating people) He takes drills and drills head but his own instead of others. He had dressed similiar to Dahmer and drove a similiar car. Killed people and played around with there body parts. And not to forget he puts the human remains in his cooler/refrigerator. Man that was kind of creepy seeing a big similiarity to Jeffrey Franken and Jeffrey Dahmer. Maybe Frank Henelotter secretly knew Dahmer and just made a movie that was based off what Dahmer was doing. No I'm joking.

This movie has everything plus alittle bit more. Super Crack, exploding people, drugs, sex bad launguage, hookers, and a frankenhooker, Beverly Bonner, a cold lawnmower and even a cool camera angle of a dismembered leg flying across the room and hitting the dresser.

BUY THIS MOVIE. Frank Henelotter needs to make more movies but hasn't since 1992. Make more, Henelotter forever!!!

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Housefull Bollywood Blu Ray With English Subtitles (2 Disc Set) (2010)

GREAT DRAMEDY (drama/comedy) Starts off with Akshay Kumar being unemployed except for any casino hiring him as a hex of good luck to the gamblers. All in the first 20 min or so you see him have hit after hit of bad luck. He is so depressed after losing his latest girlfriend (they all meet with very bad luck when he starts to date them ) he decides to go back to London and see his old friend who has always been their for him no matter how bad things are. Unknown to our poor hero his friend has married a girl against her families wishes and they have been cut off by her father(( she constantly leaves messages on the voicemail to her daddy but he coldly ignores her breaking her heart)) Enter Akshay to his friends life and home . With his old key he let's himself in and is sleeping upstairs when the new couple come home to smooch it up for their anniversary, very funny moments while Akshay's bad luck pops up . The next morning while he tries to make it up to them by cleaning the house, he visits destruction upon them again. Watch for the two pradas and some "shocking moments " lol. Very funny. Lots of situational humor in this one.

New plan . In self defense his friend decides that they need to get him married and he will have a Karma change. Bad plan. Waiting on his bed for his bride to come out, he falls asleep. The next 10 min are a very amusing dream sequence honeymoon night. When he wakes up he's still dressed and it's morning .He goes on the beach looking for his day old bride and she shamelessly introduces the real reason she married him, her real love, now she can be married to the man she really wants and she will control her fortune too. She will send the divorce papers to him in two weeks....He just can't take this any more ...he walks into the water with his marriage clothes on to die. Enter our Sandy gorgeous , determined and full of love and life, she pulls him from the depths of the ocean and the palpable despair he's been living in. She is told by the hotel jokester that he was widowed that morning . Sandy feels bad for him and ask's him to lunch , they hit it off . She's as sweet as he is . All is not yet smooth our young heroine finds out her new love Akshay is married and believes he is toying with her heart. He just can't get a break .

His love has decided to trust him but he has to ask her brother for her hand. Her brother is a walking polygraph anti terrorist commando cop . He needs to impress her brother but he is out of work and he has inadvertently caused his best friend and wife some serious home damage , they all decide to rent a big mansion to impress their respective families with and get them to show for specific dates only. They can't afford it for more than a few days. (this is a dramedy so of course they change the plans on them) . The only two available to see the estate agent that day are Akshay and his "sister n law" (friends wife) . The estate owner will only rent to them if they are married so to hurry this along they just say yeah they are married. Enter Sister n law's Daddy. He hasn't met his son in law yet and now he is being pointed out by the estate owner as Akshay. Oh what a web we weave . All sister in laws lies are causing a hilarious mess . This is a fun web , Feel free to get ensnared and enjoy the hilarious moments of nonstop laughs and tears behind every door in this very full house.

I would rather read every subtitle in the universe than be subjected to any more souless Zombie techno crap from hollywood that lacks investment in the character. If we don't care about the character than why would we watch it , remember it, or recommend it... Akshay Kumar's eyes deliver. The silly elation of new love, hope or despair, the joy of acceptance of ones family ...He connects with us on every level. Keep the hits comming King Kumar.

Aarush (Akshay Kumar) is that badnaseeb whose very presence makes things go haywire for those around him. When he finally marries a girl, he thinks his run of bad luck will end. In fact, it begins with renewed vigour as she leaves him for an Italian and off goes Aarush into the deep seas of Italy where he is saved by another beauty. Has he found his love? Has his streak of bad luck ended? It is this thin premise that Sajid hangs his entire comedy on.

This is one more of those 'leave your brains behind' flicks. Frankly, if you do try to stop looking for logic, you may have a blast. The gags are situational and hilarious at times. On other occasions, they do draaaaaaag!

Akshay Kumar has to sleep walk through this role. Riteish Deshmukh, as usual, once again provides hilarious support. It is left to the babes to bring in some zing to the tale. Jiah Khan sizzles and more. Sadly, her role is short. However, she slams hard to make an impact and put the other two girls in the shade. I wonder what would have happened if there was more of Jiah with Lara Dutta and Deepika Padukone.

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This is a hilarious Hindi movie. It's very modern and makes you laugh many times throughout the movie. Really one of the best movies that's come out recently. It's not like some comedies that have a lackluster story. I would recommend this movie. Even my non-Indian friends enjoyed this movie.

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Great, Funny, and Amusing. I had seen it once and I knew I had to buy it. I would recommend it.

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Rifftrax: LIVE! Reefer Madness

I saw this show in the theater last year and couldn't wait to get it on DVD. The shorts alone make it worth buying, but then the jokes during the movie were certainly worthwhile as well. The jokes are not simply a repeat of the studio version of Rifftrax Reefer Madness and while I enjoy that DVD quite a bit the live version is just as good or better with lots of new jokes added. As others have pointed out, there are a few flubbed lines, but they are few and far between and it is LIVE comedy, so that is to be expected. If anything, it adds to the humor. The energy of the live performance and connection with the theater audience more than makes up for a few verbal stumbles. I highly recommend this DVD, it is one of my favorites of the Rifftrax Live series so far.

Shorts include:

More Dangerous Than Dynamite: A 1930's short about the hazards of washing your laundry at home in gasoline. D'uh!

At Your Fingertips: Grasses: A bizarre arts and crafts short for children from the 1970's. You'll wonder what the makers of this one were thinking when they dreamed it up.

Frozen Frolics: An odd 1930 cartoon that is not so classic, but it is a bit bizarre. Let's just say it's no Steamboat Willy.

There's also a new introduction on the DVD featuring Mike, Kevin and Bill.

The shorts are so amusingly odd that they kind of make fun of themselves, but Rifftrax certainly does add jokes worth hearing. If you're a MSTie and or a Rifftrax fan you won't want to miss this one. Recommended.

As the post-MST3K world goes, Rifftrax has just been too hit-or-miss for me. I've picked up a few titles (Carnival of Souls is one of my favorite B movies so I HAD to have that one). But seeing they put their live shows out on Blu-ray perked my interest enough to order this. Good thing too, because this has ended up being my favorite of the Rifftrax outings. The best part of the show isn't the feature film...it's the short about grass (as in lawn), which is funny enough without the riffing.

I found the visual presentation to be a bit annoying. The image keeps alternating between the movie itself centered on the screen and the movie off to the left to fit images of the three riffers to the right in Brady windows. I found that to be distracting and unnecessary.

Still, the subject matter is ripe for riffing, and the laughs are frequent.

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A 1930s movie about (sic) the "Dangers Of Marijuana?" Be a little real, marijuana is about as "dangerous" as Shirley Temple or Tiny Tim. The ONLY "true" way to achieve any sort of "edification" ref "Reefer Madness" is to allow the Riff Trax guys, Mike, Kevin, and Bill, to explain the..."subtile nuances" of this FINE film to you. And the song they've composed which is available between the Riff Trax-enhanced version of (giggle) "Reefer Madness" and the original (yes, they both occupy the same DVD!) film is worth the price of admission, just by itself. MST3K may have gone to that great resting place in the sky where "Fridays," "Alf," "the Monkees," and "Car 54 Where Are You" now abide, but the Riff Trax guys do very well, keeping its spirit alive and quite well.

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Mystery Science Theater 3000 is something new to me. But it is fun. It is a movie, a bad one with a couple of guys riffing it. If you do not know what that is, well you know how when you watch a bad movie with your friends and you make fun of it through out the movie... well there you go. That is what a riff is. They say funny things about the mistakes in the movie, and bad acting and whatever else they find that is funny.

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I love the Rifftrax Live dvds because they have all of the extra shorts too! Reefer Madness is hilarious with the riffs.

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Hairspray (2007)

`Hairspray' is a non-stop, exhilarating song and dance extravaganza. This exuberant remake of the John Waters' musical is funny, fast, and fabulous. Adam Shankman's direction is appropriately lilting in the right measure, but balanced with social commentary highlights. Unlike 'Dreamgirls,' there are no Oscar worthy performances, but the production is so fun there doesn't have to be. The entertainment is winning on every level, and, as for the songs, it never goes limp.

Once again we are transported to the early sixties in Baltimore, where flannel is uniform, Blacks and Whites are segregated, and beehives are in fashion. The plot is fairly simple: Overweight teen Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky) wants to break the mold on her favorite TV program "The Corny Collins Show" (an "American Bandstand"-like feature) while discovering a more urgent need to end segregation on a show that only sometimes features "Negro Night". She gets her big break when teen singing sensation, Link Larkin (Zac Efron) makes advances that bring her to the stage floor. In the meantime, her success is challenged by the show's program manager, (played with overbearing skill by Michelle Pfeiffer) and her daughter, Amber, the show's reigning "Miss Teenage Hairspray," a nasty nemesis . Joining forces with her Afro-American friends, especially Motormouth Maybelle (Queen Latifah) and dancer Seaweed (Elijah Kelly), she works for equal time on the dance floor.

`Hairspray' is set as perfect entertainment. John Travolta provides likable loopiness as Nikki's mother while he dances and cross-dresses his way into our hearts. The villains are nasty enough, and the sweetness pervades even amongst important demonstrations on key social issues. When it all comes down to balance, 'Hairspray' fills the bill.

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) This is the sort of brassy, candy-coated musical to which you either give yourself entirely or not at all because there is little room in between. First, there was the edgy 1988 John Waters comedy followed years later by the sunnier 2002 Broadway musical version. I thoroughly enjoyed the elaborate stage version thanks mainly to Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's ebullient music and sharp lyrics and stellar performances from Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur as a most unlikely mother and daughter in 1962 Baltimore. That most of that high-kicking, watusi-gyrating spirit remains intact is quite an accomplishment for director Adam Shankman, whose previous track record consists of mediocre studio comedies. Adapting Mark O'Donnell's stage book, screenwriter Leslie Dixon seems equally unlikely of pulling it off. Yet, somehow they do and even bring a deeper sense of gravitas than the previous incarnations with the heavier elements of racism and segregation. Starting out his career as a dancer and choreographer, Shankman provides the energetic, in-your-face choreography that is appropriately applied here.

The story centers on Tracy Turnblad, a genuinely optimistic teenager, a bouncing bundle of energy obsessed with the local Corny Collins dance show. Living in a working-class neighborhood with her agoraphobic, self-consciously plus-sized mother Edna and her congenial, novelty store-owner father Wilbur, Tracy only wants to dance on Corny's show. Standing in her way is the malevolent Velma Von Tussle, an aging beauty who owns the TV station, and her equally venal daughter Amber. Once a month, the station allows the dance show to have a co-host, blonde-tressed Motormouth Maybelle, who holds a "Negro Day" to allow the local black kids to dance on their own. These kids seem to end up in detention a lot since Tracy finds them there and learns new dance moves from them. She realizes the world would be a better place if black and white kids were able to dance together on Corny's show. This sets up the story's central conflict, which comes accompanied by romantic complications among the various characters. All of this ends with the Miss Teenage Hairspray pageant and naturally a pull-all-the-stops production number.

The casting is inspired. Following Divine and especially Fierstein in the cross-dressing role of Edna is no easy task, but John Travolta brings a surprising delicacy to the character. The novelty of his casting never wears off, but he also does not stoop that much to parody either. Even with a slightly garbled Baltimore accent, he is convincing as a woman who has accepted life's compromises for the sake of her family. Alternating quickly between clever and broad, Michelle Pfeiffer has a field day playing Velma, though she has precious little opportunity to show off her long dormant singing talent. As Maybelle, Queen Latifah seems to be cornering the market on musical earth-mother types and gets her shining moments on "Big Blonde and Beautiful" and especially on the gospel-flavored "I Know Where I've Been". Christopher Walken has comparatively less to do as the put-upon Wilbur, though he shows off his singing and dancing skills on his sweet pas de deux with Travolta on "(You're) Timeless to Me".

For all the veteran talent on display, it's Nikki Blonsky who carries the heart of the movie as Tracy, and her sunny demeanor and "American Idol"-caliber talent keep the story aloft. The other teens Zac Efron as singing heartthrob Link, Amanda Bynes as devoted best friend Penny, Brittany Snow as spoiled Amber, and Elijah Kelley as Maybelle's son Seaweed are all played with energetic adolescent brio. Complementing the principal cast are James Marsden as the perpetually smiling Corny and Allison Janney as Penny's Bible-thumping mother. Everyone is in the right spirit, and the pacing and tone are spot-on. The film's one weakness is a certain lack of energy in the camera movement around the production numbers, as Shankman's tendency is to film key dance sequences intermittently at mid-waist level. The net effect is a reduction in the overall energy level at key moments such as Travolta's Tina Turner-style turn at the end. Regardless, this is fun stuff for those open to this genre.

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Information below was found on another site I hope it's accurate. If Amazon wants to add this to the description and delete this comment it's fine with me.

Single-Disc Edition:

* 16×9 widescreen version of the film or 4×3 fullscreen version of the film

* English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Sound

* English & Spanish subtitles

* Closed captions

Two-Disc "Shake and Shimmy" Edition:

* "Behind the Beat" picture-in-picture option allowing viewers to watch behind-the-scenes footage and on-screen commentary concurrently with the running feature (HD Exclusive)

* All new musical number, "I Can Wait"

* Feature-length audio commentary from director and choreographer Adam Shankman, star Nikki Blonsky and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron

* Deleted scenes with audio commentary from director and choreographer Adam Shankman and star Nikki Blonsky

* "You Can't Stop the Beat: The Long Journey of Hairspray" documentary

* "Step By Step: The Dances of Hairspray" featurette offering how-to dance instruction

* "Hairspray Extensions" featurette, giving viewers dance breakdowns

* Jump to a song with optional sing-along feature

* "The Roots of Hairspray" featurette

* Interactive menus

* Theatrical trailer

* 16×9 widescreen version of the film

* English 2.0 Stereo Surround

* English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (on feature, deleted scenes and interactive menus)

* English & Spanish subtitles

* Closed captions

Read Best Reviews of Hairspray (2007) Here

Any film that features a touching love scene shot in a Baltimore backyard with laundry hanging on the line (as Moms used to say) between Christopher Walken ( Wilbur Turnblad) and John Travolta (as an almost scary Edna Turnblad) is OK with me. That that scene may also be one of the most romantic scenes of this or any year is crazy on the one hand and perplexing on the other. With that being said, director Adam Shankman has magically turned the stage musical into something that is more full of life, more effervescent than either the play or the John Waters slight, though terrific film of 1988.

Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Blonsky who almost makes us forget Rikki Lake from the film) is a Baltimore teenager: chubby of body, colossal of hair and bubbling over with good cheer and ironclad self esteem. The year is 1962 and the signs of change are everywhere Tracy goes foremost of which is the "Corny Collins Show," an American Bandstand-type show which features a "Negro Day" once a month: a situation that Tracy and her friends Penny (Amanda Bynes) and Link (Zac Efron) are desperate to change into an everyday occurrence. Edna, who hasn't left the house since 1951 and therefore very much aware and embarrassed of her size discourages Tracy from auditioning as a dancer for the show but Tracy, to her credit, feels confident enough about her dancing does so anyway and is finally accepted into the Corny Collins fold much to the chagrin of both Velma Von Tussle ( a gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer) and her daughter Amber (Brittany Snow).

"Hairspray is also very much a capsule of its time and place: pregnant women smoking and drinking martinis, children in cars without seat belts buckled, boys and girls hair greased and sprayed to within an inch of its life (Tracy is accused of having a "hair-don't" at one point) and bigots spouting the kind of gunk that bigots do.

"Hairspray" is ultimately a big, calorie laden birthday cake of a film: you know you shouldn't imbibe but you can't help yourself. But along with the sugar rush of this spectacle there lays some lumps based on reality which point out, not only how much has changed since 1962 but more importantly how much has stayed the same.

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I enjoyed this movie more than I can say. I felt happy for hours after watching it. It was energetic, happy, sweet, funny and delightful. The casting was perfect. Everyone seemed to give it there all. The songs and dance sequences were very entertaining. I especially loved the innocent chemistry between Nikki Blonsky and Zac Efron. They are both very talented. I would highly recommend this movie. For those of us over 40 the energy of these kids is invigorating! I hope this movie succeeds beyond all expectations so that they will make more like it in the future.

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Black Orpheus (The Criterion Collection)

Do they clean the streets in Rio De Janeiro? Well, of course they do. When this carnival is over.

And if you watch this movie you will see that they do it very near the end of the last reel, as in the morning when the truck comes round spraying water, just one of a thousand little details that director Marcel Camus got right, and one of the most insignificant. But it is from a multiplicity of detail that an edifice of cinematic genius is constructed.

The true brilliance of Black Orpheus lies in the people who live on the side of the cliffs overlooking the harbor at Rio. It is their energy that prevails. Then there is the color, the costumes, the pounding rhythms, the spectacular vitality of life that is depicted as a carnival of dance and song in which we are driven along as on a wave. And yet there is the constant reality of death. And it strikes in ways we cannot comprehend, fatalistically, and we are helpless to do anything about it. And then Orpheus sings, a new Orpheus perhaps, and the sun rises again, and a little girl in white, looking like Eurydice in miniature, begins to dance as the little boy Orpheus plays his guitar, telling us that time has come round again.

Well, that's the plot as adapted by screen writer Jacques Voit from the play by Vinicius d Moraes as divined from the Greek mythology. Supporting this arresting conception is the music by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfa. I recall the former as the composer of bossanova who gave us "The Girl from Ipanema" and made the samba international. Starring in the title role as the streetcar conductor who is loved by all is Breno Melo, who might be seen as the natural man and native of paradise. The very pretty Marpessa Dawn plays Eurydice, an innocent from the country who falls in love with Orpheus and his song. Lourdes de Oliveira plays his intended, Mira who is hot blooded, vital and beautifully ordinary. But the actress I recall most vividly from the time I first saw this in the sixties was Léa Garcia who played Serafina. Her exuberance and comedic flair struck me as something completely different from anybody I had ever seen before. And then there are the boys who follow Orpheus around and emulate his every move. With their torn shirts and unflagging optimism, they represent the new day that will dawn.

If you haven't seen this strange and beautiful film, you are in for a singular experience. There is nothing else like it that I know of. And it is as fresh today as when it was made almost half a century ago.

--Dennis Littrell, author of "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!"

A lot of people were surprised when this won for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1959 Academy Awards. It hadn't been widely seen, except for winning at Cannes, it was a French director with a Portuguese-language film, with a black cast. (I've been to Rio and there's no racism, though some class-ism and other political nonsense). I saw this film in the 60's and loved it for its sincerity and profound lesson. I was in high school, and didn't really know much about the Orpheus legend. I was taken in by the narrative presented by Marcel Camus, and never forgot it. I subsequently visited Rio, and watching this film is most interesting, because it's about real people (not what the tourists see), but the exquisite photography not only shows vast vistas of Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, but vivid colors, as well as how seriously the Cariocas regard "Carnaval". Bruno Mello (Orpheus) was a handsome soccer star, and a fine actor. Marpessa Dawn, as Eurydice, is really excellent (according to liner notes, she was from Pittsburgh). A real natural. An interesting thing to notice is that, even when looking though an open door, there are great shots of the beaches, Rio's finest feature. I also attended a Macumba ceremony while there, and the one depicted in the film let me know that mine wasn't a fake. Then there's the brilliant score by Jobim and Bonfa, which, by now, has become standard/classic. The music truly carries the film, the acting is first-rate, and the use of color by cinematographers Louis Stein & Rene Persin is breath-taking. This is indeed a great film with humor, a few scares, great love story, and just about everything anyone would want. The music alone will entertain; everything else is like a fine sauce over an excellent entree.

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A wonder-filled whirl of color and sound, this movie will provide a boost for the hopeless romantic. The never-ending love story of Orpheus and Eurydice is regenerated in "modern" Rio during Carnival. Beautifully photographed with an excellent sound track, this movie is a must-see for any serious film connoisseur.

Links to the original Greek tragedy will test your knowledge of mythology and the trip to "Hades" with its voodoo incantations will stick in your mind like a fever-induced dream. The beauty and rhythm of this film will make you think of your first true love, and, if you're one of the lucky ones out there, make you glad you never let that person go.

I first saw Black Orpheus in New Orleans. One of my life's fondest memories is viewing this film at a local repertory theater. Whenever there were carnival street scenes, balcony-bound moviegoers would let loose with Mardi Gras beads and doubloons, adding to the carnival atmosphere.

Also, although I have a copy of the subtitled Orpheu Negro, which I would never part with, I have seen a dubbed version, only once and then on television. I would very much like to acquire a dubbed copy. Can anyone out there help? I remember there being much more to the story line revealed with the dubbed version. (For example, when at the pawn shop, as patrons are passing the guitar down to Orpheus, they are saying, "This is for Orpheus. This is for Orpheus." This phrase is transposed from person to person into "This is Orpheus. Here's Orpheus.", giving the guitar mystical properties and seeming to make it the embodiment of the spirit of Orpheus. Inscribed on the guitar are the words "Orpheus is my master."

I would give this film my highest recommendation and would encourage anyone to view it at least one a year.

rmelhorn@aol.com

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The classic film that brought Brazil's bossa nova music to the world outside, this was a wry modernist update of the classical Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridyce, the starcrossed lovers whose passion could not be denied, even by all the powers of Hell. The film is adapted from a bold stage play written by Brazilian poet Vinicius De Moraes, who enlisted a then-unknown Antonio Carlos Jobim to compose the classic bossa tunes that stud the films soundtrack. In this version, Hell is a blend of the futurist modernism that created Brasilia, the sterile and unappealing new capital of Brazil, and the heedless bacchanalia of Carnaval; Vinicius's vision of the lower rings of Hades as a bureaucrat's office is a stroke of pure genius. I first saw this film when I was in high school; viewing it again as an adult steeped in Brazilian popular culture, I certainly got a lot more out of it. Although some Brazilians (prominently, Caetano Veloso) chafe at the fact that this version was directed by a European, director Marcel Camus, I think it's still safe to say that it is a brilliantly made film. Heavy on the textual symbolism and, yes, a bit voyeuristic in its depictation of the happy natives dancing to their catchy samba rhythms, but brilliant nonetheless. It also captures a moment in time -Brazil's transition into a modern nation, and the heady days before the 1964 coup -in a way that is precious and ineffable.

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This movie explodes onto the screen in a riot of color, music, dancing and drama so intense that it blows our minds. It's a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, brilliantly transplanted to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival week. The pulsing samba rhythm throughout the movie is so hypnotic that more than once I had to get up and dance while I was watching it at home. And what else could be more hypnotic than Brazil during Carnaval?

"Black Orpheus" brings us a marvelous cast of black actors lead by Breno Mello in the title role and Marpessa Dawn as Eurydice; she is fleeing Death in the form of a sinister stalker and takes refuge with her cousin Serafina, winningly played by Léa Garcia. But Orpheus has a fiancée in the persona of Mira, a sexy bombshell played by Lourdes de Oliveira, who doesn't appreciate Orpheus falling in love with the beautiful and desperate Eurydice. Mira and her friends are the Furies relentlessly hounding Orpheus in the middle of Carnaval, while he tries to protect Eurydice who is being relentlessly stalked by Death. But Death and the Furies are too strong for both of them, and Orpheus can only be reunited with Eurydice in another world.

The marvelous setting in the hills above Rio, the vibrant cinematography, and above all, the brilliant samba music by Luis Bonfa and António Carlos Jobim, all come together to work on our senses until we are totally caught up in the film. This movie is not so much for watching as for experiencing. And even after all the tragedy, we leave the film on a positive note watching the exuberant dancing by three very young children, who remind us that in the midst of death we remain gloriously alive.

Judy Lind

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