A Little Help (2010)

"What's a cooler way to die, 9/11 or a arrhythmia thing?" Laura (Fischer) and Bob (O'Donnell) have a strained marriage. Bob works all the time and Laura drinks a lot. Their 12 year old son is stuck in the middle but prefers the dad. After an argument leads to Bob's death, Laura is left to figure out how to raise her son and support her family. This is a movie that is very different from the preview. The preview makes it look like a comedy, while there are some funny parts this is more of a drama. That said this is one fantastic movie. Watching each character deal with the situation is great to watch. There are parts that you laugh at that you feel like you shouldn't. This is also one of the best mother-son bonding movies I have ever seen, and there are scenes with her family that will make you mad. The fact that you have these feeling marks the sign of a good movie. This is one of the biggest surprise movies of the year. You expect one thing, it's another, but an absolutely fantastic movie to watch. Overall, an extremely entertaining and enjoyable movie to watch that won't disappoint. I give it an A.

I was hooked by the opening scene of Laura (Jenna Fischer) playing a dental hygienist. She is pretending everything is fine while she complains to her patient that her husband has one lone fault: he uses waxed floss. Clearly her life is not together as she is late picking up her porky 12 year old son Dennis (Daniel Yelsky) from camp while extinguishing the Marlboro Light she gave up a year ago. He clearly prefers dad (Chris O'Donnell) who frequently must work late, to being with his mom.

Jenna drowns her life, which really isn't that bad, into a Budweiser product placement (later replaced by Absolut Vodka) and lies to her mother (Lesley Ann Warren who has aged gracefully) about her life. While sad, it is done in a manner that we must laugh. When Chris dies from an "anxiety" attack brought on by Laura's sudden sexual demand, Laura goes to work the morning of the day of the funeral because it isn't until three o'clock. When Laura is at home, there are times when a dog is barking in the background. It is cleverly symbolic of her tension level.

The movie has some quick dry dark comedy wit:

At the funeral Paul is talking to a woman while opening a bottle of wine:

Paul: This is my second funeral this year, my dad died earlier.

Woman: Oh I'm so sorry.

Paul: Don't be. It was for the best.

Woman: Was he sick?

Paul.: No

Dennis goes to a new school and has the "opportunity to make new friends" as the new fat kid in school. Things don't work out too well until he tells the kids his dad died "in 9-11."

Meanwhile Laura is sent to a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice lawsuits. Just when you think the movie is going to turn sad and dramatic,like so many indies going down the road of ruin, it doesn't. Even the sad scenes have some dark humor to them.

Jenna Fischer was great. The film boasts a great supporting cast as well as a quirky script with excellent direction. This is what indie production should be.

F-bomb, pathetic sex scene (by design), pot smoking. No nudity.

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Writer/director Michael J. Weithorn, a television sitcom veteran, makes his feature film debut with the slight but likable "A Little Help." In truth, his sitcom origins are pretty apparent as many of the film's situations feel a bit forced for comedic or confrontational value--and yet, the film contains a fair share of charming moments as well. This is one of those small independent endeavors that you will either love if you identify with the characters or be generally underwhelmed by its lack of narrative momentum. I, for my part, enjoyed the movie for its unassuming tone and a bold lead performance by Jenna Fischer. Fischer, best known for "The Office," rarely has a chance to display her acting chops but this is certainly a nice showcase. Despite some of the screenplay's shortcomings, this has to have been a dream part for Fischer who is usually relegated to small or benignly generic supporting roles in feature films. Here she gets to act with a capital "A." And for my money, that is a primary selling point.

Fischer and Chris O'Donnell play a troubled married couple living a typical Long Island existence. When things take a tumultuous turn, Fischer and her son are left to rebuild their lives with the help of her ever-intrusive family. With seasoned vets Leslie Ann Warren and Ron Leibman as her protective (and oftentimes critical) parents and Brooke Smith as a caring (but overbearing) sister, it's a hard road to newly defined independence. Fischer maneuvers through the pratfalls of moving toward maturity and confidence through a series of comedic missteps that seem to be leading her in the right direction. Some of these moments contain genuine emotion, some are lightly amusing, and some are awkwardly strained (come on, does anyone really believe she'd have actively participated in the lie perpetuated at her son's school?). It is the script's unevenness that is perhaps the movie's biggest detriment, but Fischer manages to keep things grounded and on track throughout. In the end, the life lessons might be too understated and barely noticeable to make the journey worthwhile for some viewers--but I didn't mind the film's loose ending.

As I said, I quite liked "A Little Help" despite my intellectual reservations. It is designed to tug at the heartstrings and I was willing to let Fischer and team manipulate my emotions, even in the less-than-real intrusions. While I did love Fischer, the film is NOT a one woman show either. It has some notable work from a trio of actors that are often overlooked or underutilized. Brooke Smith (often misused) is terrific as the put-upon sister--it might be my favorite performance of hers going all the way back to the criminally underrated "Series 7." Rob Benedict (maybe still best known for TV's Felicity), usually playing an oddball or eccentric, gets a sympathetic and well rounded role as Smith's husband who once had a crush on Fischer. And Kim Coates (Prison Break, Sons of Anarchy) scores in a change-of-pace stint as Fischer's aggressive attorney. I appreciated seeing these great actors given a chance to shine! "A Little Help" may be a bit slight for its own good, but I genuinely enjoyed this sleeper. Recommended, but a must-see if you love Fischer. KGHarris, 10/11.

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A Little Help starring Jenna Fischer is a strange but interesting little film. Fischer's performance is what saves this film, she is so believable as Laura, a woman who's husband has died and her son makes up a lie about how his father died to his classmates to impress them. Laura is rough-around-the-edges, she's high-strung, she's neurotic, and can't make sense out of her chaotic life. This film isn't for everyone, no fairytale ending but I did enjoy this film. Who knew Jenna Fischer was such an amazing actress!?

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Other reviews have already covered much more ground than I intend. For those of you, like me, who had an interest in this film based on the preview, this review is for you. I was led to A Little Help by two things: Jenna Fischer and the trailer. Fischer delivered what I expected of her and was a pleasure to watch, but the film didn't come close to delivering on the promise of the trailer. I anticipated a pick-me-up--something heartwarming, if not entirely lighthearted. What I got was a string of agonizing relationships and choices, discordant families, and people full of regret, their flaws on display for the world (and not in a celebratory way). This is a movie about crisis, and while I found it engaging and worth watching, it was also emotionally exhausting.

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Rock 'N' Roll High School

Hey Ho! Let's Go! Listen up, kids. Rock 'n' Roll High School may have been released way back in 1979 but it still kicks the ass of any of those square MTV movies. Forget about Britney Spears and Mandy Moore's brand of bubblegum pop music and their equally bland movies they don't hold a candle to the unbridled power of those punk rockers from New York City, the Ramones!

From B-movie veterans like Paul (Eating Raoul) Bartel and Mary (Death Race 2000) Woronov to newcomers (at the time), P.J. (Halloween) Soles and Dey (Strange Invaders) Young, the entire cast has a lot of fun spouting the film's wonderfully inspired cornball dialogue ("If you don't like it, you can put it where the monkey puts the nuts."). The Ramones are good sports and mumble their way through the film and truly coming alive during the music sequences. The movie rightfully cements their reputation as legends.

Rock 'n' Roll High School embodies the essence of the punk rock music that made the Ramones famous. The film is bursting with youthful energy, a dose of good ol' fashion anarchy and is loads of fun to watch. These are also the ingredients that made Rock 'n' Roll High School a cult film. It was a commercial and critical failure upon its initial release but repeated midnight screenings, coupled with steady appearances on TV, have helped the film endure over the years.

New to this edition is a "Back to School: A Retrospective" that takes a look back at this cult film with new interviews with producer Roger Corman, Alan Arkush and cast members Clint Howard, Dey Young, Mary Woronov and Loren Lester and the surviving Ramone from that time, Marky. This is an affectionate, fun look at this movie with everyone reminiscing fondly about their experiences.

Producer Michael Finnell, screenwriter Richard Whitley and director Alan Arkush deliver an engaging and rather chatty audio commentary. The three men laugh and joke about working on Rock 'n' Roll High School. They clearly have fond memories of their experiences on the movie.

Another new addition is an audio commentary by Corman and Young. She admits that in reality she was more like Riff Randell than her character. There are several lulls but it is nice to hear these two reminisce about their experiences on the movie.

Also included is a dynamic theatrical trailer that gives away the ending! Definitely watch this last if you haven't seen the movie.

Gone is the Leonard Maltin interview with Roger Corman.

A real treat for fans of the Ramones are several audio outtakes during the filming of the concert sequence. These are the original audio tracks of the band in action.

While Rock 'n' Roll High School will appeal predominantly to fans of the Ramones (duh!), it is also one of those fun, goofy movies to invite friends over and watch with copious amounts of junk food on hand. Despite a lackluster transfer, the audio commentary and audio outtakes are worth the price of purchase for this fantastic cinematic oddity.

Being a Ramones fan, this movie has a special place in my heart. The commentary by the director , screenwriter, and producer is a real treat to liten to; you can feel their passion for film making and rock and roll. Most humorous is how they convinced Roger Corman to change the film from DISCO HIGH to ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL. Just a fun, fun movie. The DVD presentation is wonderful, though there are a few scratches from the transfer (What do you expect? It's Roger Corman!). And the audio outtakes are a must for Ramones fans. And with Clint Howard, Paul Bartel, and Dick Miller in the same movie, how can you go wrong?

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Rock, Rock, Rock, Rock, Rock and Roll High School.

That's how the song begins for one of the best Ramones songs and surely the most unique event in their history, a starring role in a feature film! I love movies with rock bands. A Hard Days Night, Head, and this film are probably my all time favorite "Band" films. When I was in high school and college, we had a ritual of going to see the midnight movies on most weekends. Usually they featured such "gems" as H.O.T.S. and Flesh Gordan, but occasionally you would come across a real sleeper. In 1979 I walked into Eastland mall to see a film I had never heard of and walked out a Ramones fan forever. It was still early in this films release, but it had already skipped most of the big theatres and gone straight to midnight showings. I guess a movie about a punk band (actually a straight up rock band) and a bunch 0f kids who blow up their school was never going to cross the 100 million mark. Made with virtually no budget and featuring PJ Soles, Clint Howard and Vincent Van Patten, along with the Ramones this movie is funny, has great tunes (Rundgren, McCartney, Alice Cooper etc), cute girls, and features a great scene where they blow the school up while the Ramones play the theme.

This movie came out right after PJ Soles had made her screen debut in Halloween and just before she played Bill Murrays girlfriend in Stripes. She was perfect for the role of the Ramones fanatic and she can sing too. She does a great version of Rock and Roll High School, upstaging the preppy cheerleaders in the gym. Clint Howard (Rons brother) actually has something to do in this film. He plays the school "dealer". Not in drugs mind you, he is the guys that sells you hall passes and gets you the makeout van for your hot dates. A very different role from all his walkon roles in Ron Howard films. The rest of the cast is well chosen and we even have a great villain in the evil principal Miss Togar. Someone you love to hate. Don't worry, she gets hers. This is just a great cult movie.

It was followed with a sequel, minus the Ramones and starring Corey Feldman. I don't think anyone ever saw that one. What was the point?

Highly recommended if you love rock band films. Get it while you can, it was out of print and was brought back after Joey died. It most likely will go out of print again.

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Fantastic late '70s B-movie, a true cult classic. The music is top-notch -both the live Ramones material and the soundtrack artists. If the visual gags and silly jokes don't get you laughing, P.J. Soles' outfits will. You gotta admire P.J. for her acting skills. She actually makes us believe that her character has a crush on Joey Ramone, who definitely does *not* fit the stereotype of a good-looking teen idol.

This DVD edition is a bit disappointing. First, the audio mastering isn't up to snuff. There are several spots when the sound is clipped or distorted, usually when there is a loud and sudden noise. Those problems weren't in the VHS version that I saw. Second, you can sometimes see scratches on the image, which is really lame for a DVD. Third, for some strange reason, this version cuts the final line of Tom's early scene in the school corridor, where he says, "I need to get laid".

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Rock `n' Roll high school is what a musical should be. The Ramones are one of the greatest bands of all time. No wonder this film is a classic, how can it not be a classic. It's got everything a classic needs. Dancing, great music, great story, and of course the Ramones. Riff Randle (P.J. Stoles) loves Rock `n' Roll and the Ramones. But as the schools new principle Ms. Togar tries to destroy Rock `n' Roll and make more strict rules, Riff has to save Rock `n' Roll and the school. The kids decide they have had enough. So they go to a Ramones concert and try to get them to make a song for the school called "Rock `n' Roll high school". Now in a all new remastered DVD with special features Rock `n' Roll High School is the ultimate musical to get. The commentary in this DVD was surprisingly not boring. Allan Arkush, Richard Whitley, and Michael Finnell discuss stories of the Ramones and the hard process of making this film. Lenard Maltin interviews Roger Corman (there's only 2 minutes of this) Roger discusses that if they didn't do Rock `n' Roll High School they would have done "Disco High". What I really loved was the outtake concert of the Ramones for the concert scene. They play two extra songs "I wanna be sedated" and Sheena is a Punk Rocker". If you love the Ramones, you got to see this film and you'll love them even more. In addition to this film you should also get Ramones Raw DVD.

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One Last Thing...

The concept for this little Indie film the dying wish of a teenager opening spiritual doors is far from original, but Barry Stringfellow's strong script as directed by Alex Steyermark (whose only other directorial venture was 'Prey for Rock and Roll', though he has been on the crew of some very fine films like 'Pieces of April' etc) results in a far from ordinary drama. For those who have not seen Cynthia Nixon expand beyond her 'Sex and the City' role, this performance will be enlightening!

Dylan (Michael Angarano) is a young teenager diagnosed with terminal cancer, a fact that he shares with his loony buddies (Gideon Glick and Matt Bush) who support him with silly but genuine companionship. Dylan's mother Carol (Cynthia) is still reeling from her husband's death (Ethan Hawke) and facing the loss of the one remaining part of her family is devastating but her strength of character keeps a positive support for Dylan. When Dylan is informed by his doctor (Brian Stokes Mitchell) that further radiation and chemotherapy are useless, Dylan places his desire for living on one last thing...he is on a TV show where dying wishes are granted, and rather than the asking for expected fishing trip with football hero Jason (Johnny Messner), he opts for a weekend alone with supermodel Nikki Sinclair (Sunny Mabrey). Nikki, we discover, has problems and demons of her own and her agent Arlene (Gina Gershon), in trying to rescue her faltering career, advises the reluctant Nikki to visit Dylan in his home in Pennsylvania for positive PR purposes. Once they meet Dylan is determined to have his one last thing, gains money and a room (a gift from Jason) in New York and travels with his sidekicks to the Big Apple to cash in on his prize. The Nikki he finds is the wasted girl down at heels and though she feels tenderness toward Dylan she tells him to just go home. Dylan's disease progresses to the point of final hospitalization when Nikki re-enters the sad room and changes things.

The power that changes this predictable story lies in the extraordinarily sensitive performances of Michael Angarano, who plays Dylan with a twinkle in his eye and allows us to feel his burden without resorting to bathos, and the always-impressive Cynthia Nixon whose performance as Dylan's mother is the most understated and heart wrenching on film. She owns the screen whenever she is on. The supporting cast is strong (though Gideon Glick and Matt Bush are allowed to become obnoxious and would have benefited from some stronger direction). In all, this is a striking, simple, compelling film that rises well above its premise to become an important statement about death and dying and the power of hope and love and family. Grady Harp, May 06

And it keeps getting better. I, too, thought the premise was an eye-roll. and the poster didn't help. but from the opening credits til the last, great closing credits song by wyclef jean, i found a sweet, smart, sad, and very funny movie. the writing is amazing. my teenage brothers were stunned, and thrilled, to find realistic teen dialogue and comraderie. and on top of that, they all admitted getting teary eyed, right along with me. as a mom, i was slayed by the scenes with cynthia nixon and michael angarano. there are so many lessons and wisdom to be heard here.cool, if you're into that. if, instead, you just want to watch a really entertaining movie with a great soundtrack and sublime acting, see "one last thing..."

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Since the earliest days of theater, tragedy and comedy often go hand-in-hand, and it's at the heart of this story. As they say, "you'll laugh, you'll cry." The power of this film comes from the script by Barry Stringfellow and a brilliant cast, led by Michael Angarano. Arguably the most sought-after teenage actor in America, Angarano is finally beginning to tackle some powerful leading roles. As Sky High's Will and Lords of Dogtown's Sid we saw just a hint of the powerful range of Angarano's abilities, and in One Last Thing he uses both his comedic talents as well as dramatic ones in a way that we haven't really seen before. If you liked Sid, you'll love Dylan.

Angarano has an uncanny ability to make us laugh when we want to cry and to make us cry when we want to laugh. It's a real gift, and one which is evident in films like Dear Wendy and Lords of Dogtown. But here is able to use that gift from opening to closing credits. Anyone who has seen his films will not be surprised at how elegantly he slips into this character, but no doubt others who are not as familiar with his body of work will discover what many already know.

To say that this is a film about a boy's carnal desires in his last days is to miss the point. Even more than that, One Last Thing is about coping with loss a son's loss of his father and a mother's loss of her son. It's also about the search for love. "Carpe diem," if you will. The mother here is Cynthia Nixon, who is absolutely heartbreaking in a performance that can only come from deep within. This is a role that lesser actors would find daunting. Who among us hasn't experienced a similar loss? On the other hand, nothing can compare to seeing your child go before you do.

The "love object" (of Dylan there are others here) is played by Sunny Mabrey. She is the image that has been but a poster on his wall, and his quest to fulfill his dream is only as powerful in its resolution as Mabrey is in her ability to make a petulant supermodel a sympathetic character. But she pulls it off effortlessly. Dylan's partners in crime are his two best buds, Slap and Ricky (Gideon Glick and Matt Bush), who provide much of the comic relief in what would otherwise have threatened to be a heavy-handed statement on death and spiritual belief. Their lines elicit the most laughs and the fact that these were two "real" teenagers, both acting in their first film, gives their performances a ring of truth which more jaded veterans might actually have had to fight to find.

But what struck me more than anything was just how incredibly economical Steyermark and editor Michael Berenbaum are in their work. This is one of the most efficiently constructed films I've ever seen. The tendency lately seems to be to build slowly, sometimes spending up to a third of the film on character development before you begin to see the story unfold. Not here. The basic plot is presented in the very first scene, literally in the opening minutes of the film. From that point on not a moment is wasted not a shot, not a line, not a frame. Every second here is valuable to the story and yet nothing feels rushed. What a breath of fresh air this was in a season of pretentious, "look-at-me-I'm-an-indie-filmmaker" projects.

Don't let the "teen sex comedy" cover fool you. This is a dark comedy in the true sense of the word, packed with the kind of gallows humor that is made especially poignant when the subject is a high school kid. I was moved by One Last Thing, and it will leave you thinking in my book, the definition of a film that has hit its mark.

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I can understand how at first glance the premise and trailer for this movie may be dismissed as a light hearted teen comedy. But to simply watch the trailer and move on would be a big mistake. This movie simply has much more depth than that. The film deals with death and relationships from a number of perspectives and the story nicely resolves like a well-crafted piece of music. The writing, casting and directing all combine to give well thought-out characters. The characters Dylan, Slap and Ricky realistically portray typical teenager's light-hearted views on life and keep the movie grounded. Cynthia Nixon gives an unselfish performance as a single mother juggling her sons disease and his quest for life. Sunny Mabrey plays the complex supermodel that is her own worst enemy. Ethan Hawke gives an excellent cameo as Dylan's father, a character that for me was central to the entire story. Some of the best characters are the bit parts, Caoti Mundi as the Bellhop in New York, Wyclef as the cab driver and especially Michael Rispoli brilliantly cast as the non-krishna spiritual advisor.

Oh, and speaking of well crafted music, the final song from Wyclef is the perfect finishing song that was obviously inspired from a beautiful script.

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The DVD cover does a great disservice to this memorable indie film. It is as if whoever designed it hadn't even seen the film. Sadly I think many folks are going to pass this gem by mistakingly thinking is is some bubble gum/locker room teen flick. It is not. This is the most beautiful movie I have seen in a very long time. I cried... I laughed... I really never wanted it to end. I can't wait to share it with the people closest to me. Barry Stringfellow's script feels personal and full of heart as well as being well-paced and emotionally powerful. Wow! Would love to meet that guy! The quality of the direction and acting did this script justice. Michael Angarano knocked me out he is going places. I had never liked Cynthia Nixon, so I expected an average performance. I was so wrong! She portrayed a woman in an unthinkable life tragedy with such depth, bringing life and poignant originality to a character who could have so easily been overplayed. There is a hauntingly beautiful song at the end Wyclef Jean's Heaven's in New York. I need to find this. In conclusion, One Last Thing was/is a perfect surprise. The skillful balance between pure comedy and real tragedy was what will stay with me.... Please see this tender film, and share it.

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College: Ultimate Edition (1927)

Comparing this new Blu-ray release to the old Art Of Buster Keaton DVD shows much improvement.

1) A significant amount of picture has been added to all sides! The old DVD was heavily cropped on all sides! But this added picture comes with some downsides, there was a framing problem in the master film and at times there is a lighter grey-tone bar at the bottom of the picture. This was cropped off in the old DVD.

2) The new High Definition transfer is sharper and does add details to the grass on the ground and the ivy on the buildings. Even the grainy replacement section at 24:51 looks way better here.

3) The old DVD was a little too bright, some of the whites seemed to wash out. This new transfer lowers the white levels to correct this. However it gives the film the look of being shot on a cloudy day. Some may like the brighter look of the old DVD, others will like this less washed-out presentation. I prefer this version, but find the old DVD acceptable.

4) Image stabilization has been used in this new transfer. The most noticeable improvement is in the opening titles, they are rock steady (but not a freeze frame).

5) The original DVD had some of it's dialogue cards replaced with black background cards. Here in this new transfer, all dialogue cards have the same curtain background. They look original, not recreations.

The downside: Soms shots are still soft here and there as inferior prints had to be used where footage was missing fromt he original 35mm master. But that is the nature of watching old films originally filmed on Nitrate film.

This 1hour and 5 minute film has the same John Muri musical accompanyment as the old DVD, but it sounds crisper here.

There is also an optional COMMENTARY TRACK by Slapsticon founder and film historian ROB FARR.

BONUS MATERIAL:

The old DVD included Buster's shorts that are now on the Buster Keaton Shorts Blu-ray, but no real bonuses.

This Blu-ray has two bonus features:

a) Silent Echos (9:55) a then & now look at the shooting locations of "College".

b) The Scribe (29:25) a 1966 Construction Safety Associates of Onterio COLOR industrial film starring Buster. This would be Buster's last appearance on film before he passed away.

Buster is a new reporter who visits a construction site to report on construction accidents. However the biggest cause of accidents on this site is Buster himself.

Buster doesn't speak in this sound film, he only points to a list of safety regulations and a narrator recites the regulation. This pantomime separates him from reality and makes it easier to watch this now elderly man get bounced around. This late example of Buster's work is a good indication on how the world sadly ignored this talented man since the 1940's.

AS FOR THE FEATURE FILM, College has never been one of my favorites. Buster is attending college (which was a new concept in Los Angeles in those days as their universities were just being built). After giving a speech on how important studies are over athletics, Buster's girlfriend tells him he must re-think his ideas if she is going to stay with him. So Buster enters that athletic world (in real life Buster is an athlete). Buster's thrill of athletics is apparent here, but 15 minutes of him blundering around on the Track & Field Stadium doesn't make good cinema. This happens right in the middle of the film, it feels like the pace grinds to a halt. We smile at his blunders, but they are not genuinely funny. The film picks up again and Buster is in top form during the boat race finale.

***PC WARNING*** Buster does apply for a job asking for "Colored Waiters" and goes in black-face for the job.

Any Buster Keaton film is still enjoyable, and if you are thinking of upgrading to this Blu-ray, I would suggest it

The new Blu-Ray version of "College" from Kino will please any Buster Keaton fan and most others too. The story finds Buster as a smart high school grad with difficulties fitting in with the popular crowd. He follows his sweetheart to college and has to compete with the "big man on campus" for the attention of his high school sweetheart, the very attractive Anne Cornwall. Buster's attempts to fit in at college and with the popular crowd are thwarted in some very funny ways. Buster tries to hold a job as a "sodajerk" at the local ice cream parlor but fails in funny fashion.Later he tries to impress the girl by being a college baseball player but fails at that too. Then it's on to track and field where he tries to emulate other teammates in all the events of the day(1920's). These include some field events that are no longer used. All of this leads to some very funny bits and eventual failure. He finally becomes the hero of the day as the coxwain for the rowing crew. Of course he finally defeats his rival, wins the hand of his beloved and all ends happily.

Many of the college scenes were shot on the campus of the Univ.of Southern California and in the Los Angeles Memorial

Coleseum built for the Olympics.Over-all a very funny film.

The only down-side is the unfortunate use of some "black-face" comedy scenes in which Buster tries to work in a restaurant as a waiter with disasterous results.

The disc includes a nice addition of John Bengtson's "Silent Echoes" in which he traces Buster's actual locations in the film through historical photos he has researched.

The disc also includes a short film that is believed to be Keation's last filmed performance. It's an industrial film promoting saftey at construction sites. It's a sad end to a remarkable career as one of film's greatest comic actors.

On the down-side, I could not get the disc's audio comentary by Rob Farr to operate. It may be a problem with the disc that I will investigate further. The musical setting by John Muri, though-out the film, was adequate.

Over-all, I give it four-stars.

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Buster Keaton was a classic performer of his era and I had to have him in my collection now I do!

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College may not be Keaton's best, but it's still Keaton AT his best, if that makes any sense. The story is very simple and is clearly just there to hang gags on. But what gags! Many of them are sports gags (baseball, track and field, etc.) and Buster was clearly having a great time with them. The Blu-ray looks very good and is noticeably better than the DVD though it's not as nice as The General or some other silents out there. Given how old the film is, and the overall history of Hollywood and its film prints, it's understandable. But College has never looked as good as this on home video, and I have it in every incarnation all the way back to a VHS bootleg in the late 80's. I wish there was an alternate score with organ. I don't know why, but I prefer Keaton with organ scores. Maybe it's from seeing his films so many times in Los Angeles at the Silent Theater in the 90's with organ accompaniment. Still, this disc is highly recommended.

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For those who are not familiar with the name Buster Keaton, it is sufficient to say that, along with Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd, he was one of cinema's early and most famous masters of comedy. Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (1895-1966) made his mark in silent movies, as an actor, director, writer and director, and was able to carry on successfully to the talkies. One is his best and most memorable a classic -film is, without a doubt, "College," now available in the glorious Blu-ray format thanks to Kino.

The story of "College" is quite simple and straight, yet humorous thanks to Keaton's physical comedy. He stars as "a son," who just graduated with honors from high school. However, he is not admired by his classmates. That privilege, of course, belongs to "a rival" (Harold Goodwin), who is the athletic star. At the same time, Keaton is also attracted to "the girl" (Anne Cornwall); she likes him, but is kind of undecided. Soon after, all of them attend Clayton College, where Keaton decides to get into sports, so that he could win the girl's heart for good. Or, as he tells the school dean, "I took up athletics because the girl I love thinks I am a weakling." He tries everything baseball, football, track and field... Because of this, his grades take a plunge, and the dean, who really likes him, tries to help him and find a solution.

One of the things that I enjoy about watching Keaton's films, in addition to the humor, is the locations. Many of them are still around today, and one of the extras in the Blu-ray is, precisely, a visual essay of the film's locations by John Bengston. There are also audio commentaries by film historians, as well as "The Scribe," a 30 min 1966 film believed to be Keaton's "Great Stone Face," as he was nicknamed --last filmed performance. Quite a Blu-ray, as you can see one for collectors. "College" can also be obtained in Kinos's fantastic collection "The Art of Buster Keaton," available both in DVD and Blu-ray. (USA, 1927, B&W, 64 min plus additional materials)

Reviewed on May 23, 2013 by Eric Gonzalez for Kino Blu-ray

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National Lampoon's Vacation: 30th Anniversary (2013)

I'm a big fan of this film NATIONAL LAMPOONS VACATION

i already own the 20th anniversary edition dvd that was released in 2003

which had a very small featurette about the making of the film and a commentary track

which i didn't think much of

and then Warner bros released the film on blu-ray about 2 years ago i think

absolute waste of time the blu-ray release is, cause it's exactly the same as the 20th anniversary dvd

the picture quality is pretty good better than the DVD but the extras/special features are the same

as the 20th anniversary dvd

so there's nothing new

so i definitely wasn't going to buy this blu-ray release and in the mean time

hopeing that Warner bros would give this film the special treatment it deserves

and Warner bros have finally did it this year 2013

i bought the 30th anniversary edition blu-ray this week

and it's the best version you'll ever get of NATIONAL LAMPOONS VACATION

the picture quality is pretty good for a blu-ray in Widescreen of course

but the Highlight on this 30th anniversary blu-ray release is

the Brand new 90min Documentary of the making of the film

excellent making of Doco, for a fan i was happy as can be

interviews with all the actors/actress's from the film, well most of the actors anyway

Chevy chase, Beverly D' Angelo, Anthony michael Hall, Dana barron,

Christie brinkley and Harold ramis, Matty simmons, Eugene Levy,

and the list goes on

the only person not interviewed for some reason is Randy quaid

theres rare behind the scenes footage, outtakes, Deleted scenes etc

it's an incredible Documentary, any fan of this film will not be dissapointed

there is still an audio commentary by Harold ramis & Chevy chase from the 20th anniversary edition dvd

and there is still the 3mins introduction by Chevy chase, Matty simmons and randy quaid

but the family truckster featurette is not on this blu-ray, which i think is good

the family truckster featurette was the worst featurette made for a comedy classic like this

this Documentary is only available on this 30th anniversary edition blu-ray actually

it's a blu-ray exclusive, it wasn't released on the DVD releases

so if your a big fan of the film you have to get this 30th anniversary blu-ray to watch the Documentary

i've given this blu-ray release 5 stars mainly cause of the new Documentary released on this blu-ray.

so scrap the first 20th anniversary edition dvd and the 2011 release blu-ray

and definitely get this 30th anniversary edition for sure, you won't be disapointed.

I love this movie,its a comedy classic,every scene is just hilarious, i love the ending, i'm glad they changed it because originally they weren't suppose to go into Wally World, Clark goes to Roy Wallys house and holds him hostage for closing the park and has him dance, John Candy was so perfect as the security guard, i love the part where hes talking real fast to Roy Wally and blabbering to him and he says QUIET!!! lmao, my issue isn't with this movie in no way at all, i love it, its with the blu ray picture, i have the 20th anniversary dvd from 2003 and to be honest the picture is way better on it than this, i can't believe i'm saying this but i've compared both pictures and the 20th anniversary has better color and sharper images, just my opinion, i know some people will disagree with me, but if you have the 20th anniversary dvd, hold on to it, this one is not worth getting, the only great thing about it is the 85 minute making of documentary with all the actors,other than that everything else is the same as on the other dvd, except the family truckster featurette, overall great classic comedy movie, average blu ray dvd.

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This is a must have 4 your collection along with xmas vacation bi far the best too national lampoon's vacation movies.

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always loved this film and it's a treasure to own it on Blu-ray. Loved the documentary. love it so much

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One of my favorite movies of all time, Vacation is funny, because we've all been there. I can't tell how many times I seen the movie, first in the theater, then a Betamax tapes, then a VHS tape, then a DVD, now a Blu-ray. I have them all, and each new medium seems to improve both the video and audio. However, the ultimate addition is the "Inside Story: The Making of Vacation" special from the Biography Channel. There are several of these specials (Animal House & The Silence of the Lambs are two). I find them to be exceedingly well done as very entertaining documentaries of the movie making process. I bought this edition of Vacation solely because it contains the "Inside Story." It's great!

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Suburban Girl (2007)

Suburban Girl reminds me a bit of Eric Rohmer films of the 70s and 80s and other French films that takes time exploring a relationship. The characters are so well played by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alec Baldwin that you can well imagine their lives will go on after the story ends; the young woman and the older man warmly recalling their love and of lessons learned.

Suburban Girl is so much better than the huge amount of drek in the cinema right now! If this is the fate of small, charming movies than I would highly recommend staying at home and buying/renting old Erich Rohmer, Claude LaLouche movies or if you don't care for subtitles than Howard Hawkes, Preston Sturges and the like.

There are many movies that are greenlit, production happens, and then by some weird command by the movie gods, isn't released. They hit DVD, and although you are somewhat intrigued to see it, still concerned, since it never got a proper distribution in theaters. I can honestly say, this film was better, stike that, way better than some of the crap that is getting a wide release and grossing little to none at the box-office. Sarah Michelle Gellar shines as Brett Eisenberg, an up-and-coming editor, and Alec Baldwin is perfect as her older mentor for whom she falls in love. It is a coming-of-age story, mixed with a great soundtrack, and the beautiful city of New York. The supporting cast, made up of, Maggie Grace (TV's "Lost"; "The Fog") and Chris Carmack (TV's "The O.C.") are great in their roles as well. All in all, go and get this movie, don't even rent it, BUY IT! You will want this for your collection.

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Though I did not think this movie was worthy of five stars, I did not think it was as awful as some of the reviews here made it out to be. The pairing of Alec Baldwin and Sarah Michelle Gellar was not altogether bad this was intentional in the movie. Alec Baldwin plays Archie, a sophisticated, older man who is also CEO of a successful publishing company who finds himself attracted to a much younger woman, Brett (Sarah Michelle Gellar)who is trying to establish herself in the cut-throat world of publishing. A May-December romance inevitably ensues with all the typical cliches Brett is initially flattered by Archie's persistent and charming ploys to gain her affection but as time passes and their relationship gets more serious, she begins to see the darker side of their romance. The typical stereotype of an older man trying to mold a younger woman to be his ideal partner is heavily conveyed here. Brett chafes at this but also craves his advice and mentoring a sort of mentor-mentee relationship.

Is this movie creepy? Not really, at least not for me the fact is such relationships are far more common these days, and the only thing I found wanting here was the lack of strong chemistry between the two leads. The romantic scenes (thankfully, the most these two get into in this movie is deep kissing) are subtly done without going over the top. No nudity or baring of parts here I do not believe it was the movie's intent to focus on the physical part of the relationship but more of the emotional connection Archie needs Brett not just for physical intimacy but more for the missing element in his life, and similarly Brett is attracted to Archie for his intellectuality and guidance. It's a sort of symbiotic relationship that gradually unravels as Brett matures and finds her own 'voice'. I liked the focus on the publishing world, and think this is worth a watch but this is not a romantic comedy.

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I just finished watching Suburban Girl, having waited to see it for several months now. A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing is my favorite book, so naturally when they got my favorite actress (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to play the lead role I was so happy. Then it disappointingly went straight to DVD. After watching the movie, it is an absolute TRAVESTY that this movie was not in theatres. It has great dialogue, a well paced storyline, and both the actors (Gellar and Baldwin) were amazing! She is such an underated actress. What is refreshing is the way that the movie takes the same ending as the book, instead of making this a cookie cutter film with a happy ending. Don't get me wrong, there is a happy ending, it is just different that what you would expect. Definitely buy this: you will not be disappointed!!!!

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Three and a half.

I don't know that I would've picked this movie out at the video store. But since it was picked out for me I watched it.

Ambiguous is the word that comes to mind. Gellar as Brett is sweetly stumbling through life, attached to a boy and wanting a man, editing with angst, and completely unable to make a decision. Enter a man (Archie played by Baldwin) who knows what he wants (Brett) how to get it with the usual rich, charming, powerful man ploys but with a sweetness that almost brings Ahhh! moments. But the relationship is standardly Pygmalion and the end result is as expected.

What I liked: I'm a sucker for movies about writers, so two thumbs up there. Good acting and a nice range of opportunities to stretch with illness, tears, joy. Great writing, snappy dialogue. The sexual aspect of the romance is fairly low key and hidden and mentioned very little. Nasty language is refreshingly replaced with creativity.

What I didn't: Baldwin's character is creepy because there always seemed to be an agenda and an air of deception. It almost feels reptilian at times. The fact that he wants to shape Brett is okay but it doesn't always ring true. In a scene where Brett has too much to drink he actually finds her more appealing when she makes a scene. I also found that I didn't really care whether they stayed together or broke up. Brett's family didn't come off as multi-dimensional or dysfunctional as a family of origin so I didn't buy into her childhood issues as much as the script needed me to.

Overall, I think that if you can watch Alec Baldwin without shuddering at his personal life, you like the whole Pygmalion thing, chick-lit and/or Gellar, you might enjoy it.

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On the Double (1961)

After the success of his dramatic turn in "The Five Pennies", Danny Kaye returned to comedy at the tail end of his film career. Fortunately, "On The Double" is probably his last great film, a jaunty WWII intrigue-filled farce about a timid American soldier (Kaye) tapped by the military to serve as a decoy for a famous British Colonel (who's targeted for death by the Nazis) after it's discovered he's a dead ringer for the man. From there, poor Kaye fumbles through his role as the stakes get higher, involving himself in the Colonel's personal entanglements with his lovely but underappreciated wife (Dana Wynter) and amorous chauffeur (Diana Dors). As with Kaye's best films, this one relies on his special gifts for dialect, wordplay & rubber-faced timing. Just watch Kaye as he does his stuff in such hilarious comedy pieces as a military innoculation ceremony; a "dignified" ballroom complete with lost contact lenses, a wild Scottish dance, and food fight; and a climactic gag marathon of switching disguises to escape Germany.

Deftly helmed by notable director Mel Shavelson, its songs are supplied by Kaye's wife Sylvia Fine, and rounded out by a fine supporting cast (Wilfred Hyde-White and Jesse "Lonely Maytag Repairman" White). As with "Knock On Wood", Olive Films did a fine job of presenting this rare Kaye vehicle; the print is in good condition, and the colors vibrant.

Thanks for finally bringing this long-unseen movie to DVD!

On The Double, Wonderman and Court Jester are my 3 top favorites for Danny Kaye's hilarious comedy. I had a VHS taped version of On The Double from the television that was about 20 years old (low quality and full of commercials and cutoff about halfway) so I am very pleased to get the DVD version. The only things that would make the DVD release better is special features but I'm not complaining. Danny Kaye at his best! Look into his other films such as Five Pennies and White Christmas. Great, clean entertainment for the whole family.

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On The Double

Danny Kaye had a long and varied career as an actor, singer, and dancer with stops on the Broadway stage (Lady In The Dark, Let's Face It), radio and television circuit, and Hollywood film (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Court Jester). At one point, he had his own TV show, The Danny Kaye show, airing on CBS from 1963 to 1967 that won both Emmy and Peabody awards. He could perform songs with tongue twisting lyrics, many of which were written by his wife; his movie roles often contained plots featuring body doubles and cases of mistaken identity that induce gut busting laughter. The film under review, On The Double, is one of these.

Kaye plays an enlisted military man with such a gift for impersonation, he's entered into a secret program to impersonate General Laurence McKenzie Smith, who we're told is busy planning the D-Day invasion. Part of Kaye's comedy is his ability to deliver long lines in one breath: "How many times have I told you I'm on a sorb free fat free high protein low calorie low cholesterol diet, now what's so difficult about that?" Other times, in a pantomime routine he becomes, by turn, a German spy, a fighter pilot, a high society matriarch, and a Marlene Dietrich impersonator.

With his ranting, blathering, blustering, and knee jerk idiocy on display in this film, many people with time on their hands are likely to re-discover how good Danny Kaye was at providing slapdash entertainment. As Cary Grant once said: "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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So glad to be able to add this fun Danny Kaye to our film collection! Wonder where the rest of his classics are such as "Up In Arms", The Kid From Brooklyn", etc.... Please, please release them on dvd. We enjoyed "On the Double" very much as we had never seen it before it was a fun adventure. Subtitles/ captions would be, at the very least, a great addition to these newly released dvds for the price. Otherwise we enjoyed it very much.

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Rather silly premise of just 2 American soldiers posted to a British unit. (The British soldiers were clearly American.) Danny Kaye's character was over-the -top. Still, there were some funny moments, like the impossibly quick costume changes as Kaye's character tried to escape from the German soldiers, none of whom seemed able to catch or shoot him. This type of slapstick comedy would have looked better in the 1920s.

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About a Boy

Heartwarming studio chickflick about Hugh Grant bonding with a little boy...this description didn't send me rushing to the cinema, despite the Nick Hornsby brand. But shockingly, About a Boy isn't a standard Hollywood prefab romcom or sentimental twaddle -it's an actual film, sharply written, evocatively directed, beautifully acted.

The caustic British wit immediately sets the film apart from its studio comedy brethren -its actually, frequently funny. The characters feel real, lived in. The superb dual voiceover is potent rebuke to those still peddling the convential wisdom that vo's are "uncinematic" (if this includes you you're immediately assigned "Election" and "Adaptation"), working comfortably inside our protagonists' heads without any dreaded 'literary' staining, bringing their vibrant inner lives to comic life.

So instead of the false life lessons and maudlin sentimentality films of this sort so often trade in, we get a moving, witty story about...okay, yeah...Hugh Grant bonding with a little boy. But that's no reason not to rent it.

The widescreen picture is gorgeous (another nice departure from drearily filmed studio comedies) and the disc comes with numerous, lengthy deleted scenes that are virtually all terrific, and well worth viewing.

It frightened me, at first, to hear that directors Chris and Paul Weitz, the guys who made "American Pie," were behind the film adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel. Though Hugh Grant was born to play the self-centered, shallow, immature man urged to grow through his relationship with a young boy in need, I forgot about the occasional moments of warmth in "American Pie" and doubted the Weitzes were capable of conveying the heart and seriousness necessary to make this film. I was wrong.

Matching moments of true horror involving attempted suicide at the film's beginning with Grant's continuing snarky, sarcastic voiceover showed that the directors had found the precise balance necessary to make the film work. It's a heartwarming, occasionally edgy film about the human need for others and about how a family whether one we're born into or one that we create for ourselves can help us grow.

Nicholas Hoult, as Marcus, gives a great performance, and Toni Collette, as his hippie, depressive mother, is Oscar-caliber, but the film belongs to Grant. It's the best work he's ever done.

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I was hesitant on seeing this, partly because I had never heard of it or seen reviews of it on TV before, but my mom reluctantly dragged me to the show to see it. Was I surprised.

Hugh Grant plays an amazing character, the male version of Bridget Jones, or so I think. His commentary throughout the movie at random points made me laugh, and I love the "SPAT" meeting. The boy in the film did an amazing job, and the bond that forms between him and Will is great. After I saw the movie, I bought the book, and both were equally impressive. No one could have played this role better than Grant, he's perfect for it. This is probably one of his best films, if not the best.

When it comes out on DVD, I strongly suggest getting it, or rent it first, and I guarentee you will love it. I was hesitant on seeing it, and I was extremely surprised and pleased!!!

The soundtrack is also amazing, done by "Badly Drawn Boy". I suggest getting it if you're a fan of the film, because every song in the film is on the soundtrack.

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A beautifully told tale of an immature man and a too-mature boy.

Hugh Grant takes his "shtick", such that it is, and uses it to fill out a fairly detailed character. It's completely three-dimensional. By the end of the movie, you feel you yourself could answer totally unrelated questions about this character...like what would be his political views? Beatles or Presley? Big Mac or McChicken?

The boy never once seems to be acting, and is laugh-out-loud funny. He tosses them off almost like afterthoughts, yet you'll pause-and-"rewind" just to hear his delivery over and over again.

The superlative screenplay, and the surprising zippy direction from the Weitz brothers ("American Pie" to this? Wow.) will have non-cineastes noticing.

One last thing. The soundtrack is sheer perfection, by a guy named Badly Drawn Boy. It's evocative but not intrusive, classic/retro-sounding yet totally modern and contemporary, and hummable beyond belief.

From top to bottom, this is one of the best films of 2002.

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Excellent comedy from the directors of " American Pie " and " " Down to Earth ". Starring Hugh Grant . By it's speed and meaning reminds me " Four Weddings and a Funeral ". If you did like that one , you definitely going to love " About a Boy ".

Hugh Grant playing Will , some guy who is doing absolutely nothing . Just watching TV all day , picking up CDs in the store , eating lunch and picking up girls later at night . Will living on his fathers "one hit wonder " song's money and his principle in life is very simple one man is an island . He needs nothing , he wants nothing and he cares about nothing . But one day Marcus ( Nicholas Hoult ) walks in his life and things beginning to change . Marcus is a 6-7 grade kid , growing up with his single and depressed "hippie" mom . He is bullied at school and has no friends . He just started stopping by at Will's place and " hang around ", anyway Will doing nothing all day .

This relationship changed both their lives for better . And finally Will realized the real life he was missing . One man is never an island after all you change other people lives , same as they change yours .

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