Eating Raoul (The Criterion Collection) (1982)

The 1982 low-budget outré comedy EATING RAOUL from writer/director Paul Bartel, who also stars, is an outrageously funny satire that needles such diverse elements of American culture as the concept of The American Dream, high-society status symbols, overzealous capitalism, racial stereotyping, and sexually deviant subgroups.

Paul and Mary Bland (Bartel and Mary Woronov) are a conservative, happily married middle-class couple who share an interest in fine wine, good food, and sexual repression. They also share entrepreneurial dreams of opening their own restaurant for epicures. Unfortunately, the Blands are flat broke. Paul is an unemployed wine connoisseur, and Mary only makes a pittance working as a Nurse's Aide. To make matters worse, the building they want to purchase for their restaurant has also caught the eye of another buyer, so if Paul and Mary don't raise the $20,000 down quickly, they'll watch their hopes and dreams turn to dust.

Things actually take a turn for the better one evening when a "swinger" mistakes their apartment for the location of a wife-swapping party and elbows his way inside. Assuming that Paul and Mary are the party's hosts, the horny gent tries to put the make on Mary, and in a passionate, knee-jerk response, Paul beans the guy with a frying pan and kills him. Examining the body, the two discover hundreds of dollars in cash. Surmising that all swingers must carry large sums of money, Paul and Mary employ the personal ads to lure horny men to their apartment, after which they off 'em, take their money, then dispose of the bodies in their apartment building's communal trash compactor. Now their dream finally seems to be within their grasp.

Enter the titular Raoul (Robert Beltran, later a regular on TV's STAR TREK: VOYAGER). A two-bit con artist and thief, Raoul stumbles upon the Blands' murder-for-money scheme and demands a piece of the action. Oddly, he doesn't want any of the victims' money; he only wants the cadavers. It seems he knows where he can sell 'em, and he makes so much from each sale, in fact, that he offers to share HIS earnings with the Blands.

At first, the arrangement with Raoul works well, and the Blands are pretty close to having that down payment. But when Raoul decides that he also wants a share of MARY, it's up to Paul to devise a way to remove the small-time grifter from the picture without losing his wife or endangering their culinary aspirations.

Robert Beltran, in the eponymous role, marks his first major film appearance with EATING RAOUL. Although his part is obviously a satirical caricature of Anglo misperceptions and misconceptions about Hispanic and Latin folks, Beltran creates a remarkable portrait of the sleazy, opportunistic Raoul and avoids delivering a mere parody.

Pretty, quirky Mary Woronov--once a favorite of artist/filmmaker Andy Warhol during the 1960s--is a pure delight in the role of Mary Bland. She portrays Mary with just the right mix of restraint and flakiness, being very careful not to take the character too far over the top and risk losing audience sympathy. While not curvaceous or large-bosomed like the stereotypical porn queen, Woronov has a subtle, natural sexuality that makes her few nude scenes in EATING RAOUL very sensuous and erotic. Heterosexual male viewers have no problem understanding why all the men in the film desire Mary.

Writer/director Paul Bartel is perfect as the pitiful, lethargic pseudo-intellectual Paul Bland. One would never expect a wimp like Paul Bland to murder somebody, not even in defense of his wife, which makes it all the funnier when Paul develops an indignant pugnacity and DOES start whacking the victims. A talented comic thespian, Bartel pulls this all off with a straight face and avoids pushing it to the point of camp.

In addition to the wonderful performances of the three principals, there are also some notable cameo appearances. Comedy writer Buck Henry--known to most viewers as a writer/co-creator of TV's classic sitcom GET SMART--appears as a slimy bank officer appropriately named Mr. Leech. Ed Begley, Jr., shows up as a wannabe hippie; improv great Edie McClurg can be seen hamming it up at a wife-swapping party; prolific character actor Allan Rich has a bit as a gent with a Nazi fetish; and director John Landis makes a very brief (and uncredited) appearance at a sex party.

Yes, EATING RAOUL jumps back and forth across the line that divides mainstream comedy from avant-garde satire, especially by the standards of the era in which it was originally released. But it's difficult to dislike this sardonic, satirical, low-budget dark comedy. In spite of the Blands' murderous exploitation of unwary members of the "swinging" subculture, viewers tend to identify with the couple and feel an inexplicable desire to see them realize their epicurial dream. And this emotional ambivalence seems to make the film all the more humorous and enjoyable. In a way, perhaps, it's even cathartic.

The Columbia/Tri-Star DVD release of this delightful satire is a bit disappointing. Though offered in an anamorphic widescreen format, the digital transfer has many noticeable flaws. There are a few times when the image warbles or shakes (especially perceptible on a sizable HDTV monitor), and throughout the movie there are spots where the image seems excessively blurry. There are also numerous scratches, hairs, and filmic artifacts. Considering that EATING RAOUL has attained the status of cult classic, the flick deserves a higher-quality DVD release. Also, it would've been nice if the disc had included some bonus material, like maybe a commentary track featuring Mary Woronov and Robert Beltran.

The bottom line: The film EATING RAOUL deserves 5 stars; the DVD treatment only 3. The 4-star rating, then, is the average of the two. Longtime fans of the flick will want a copy for their DVD collections, as the disc IS better than the previously released VHS versions. But uninitiated viewers should wait for a higher-quality DVD release.

Talk about cult classics! Paul Bartel's darkly hilarious "Eating Raoul" was the first cult film I ever saw, way back in the early 1980s when the miracle that is cable television arrived at the house. I sat in openmouthed wonder as the movie unfolded, barely believing my eyes were seeing the twisted hijinks floating by onscreen. It's largely due to "Eating Raoul" that I became a Mary Woronov fan, and I also learned to appreciate as well as seek out any films made by Paul Bartel. He's an interesting guy, a man that looks like one of your balding uncles or an out of shape next-door neighbor, but he has a warped sense of humor that fits in well with 1970s low budget cinema. Audiences probably know Bartel, if they know him at all, for several films he made for Roger Corman in the 1970s: "Death Race 2000" and "Cannonball." These two films couldn't be more different in subject matter and tone than "Eating Raoul." The two Corman films deal with car races, crashes, and bloody violence. "Eating Raoul" is subtler, funnier, and much darker. Sadly, Paul Bartel passed away a few years ago from complications arising from liver cancer. His loss robbed us of a unique humor, as well as any hope that he and Woronov would reprise their roles in a sequel to this film.

"Eating Raoul" introduces us to two of the most boring individuals on the entire planet, Paul and Mary Bland. They dream of opening their very own restaurant, a dining establishment that will allow them to hobnob with society's elites. Heck, they consider themselves to be elites even though Paul has trouble holding down a job and Mary works as a nurse. After Paul loses his latest position as a clerk at a liquor store--a hilarious scene indeed--it seems as though the restaurant will never become a reality. They can't even get a bank loan since Mary brutally rebuffed the advances of loan officer Mr. Leach (Buck Henry). Then the two stumble upon an excellent way to make money. The apartment building the couple lives in is a place where residents continually throw wild parties that draw all sorts of immature people. One of them bursts into the Bland apartment and starts to make quite a fuss, so much so that Paul conks him on the head with a huge frying pan. The Blands feel horrible about the accidental killing until they find a huge wad of money in the guy's wallet. What if the couple lured strangers over to the apartment, killed them, and then robbed them of their money? That restaurant sure would become a reality much quicker, that's for sure.

But how will the Blands lure total strangers into their apartment without arousing suspicion? Well, it's rather easy when you live in Los Angeles. All you have to do is put an advertisement in a newspaper aimed at singles and the people beat down your door. Of course, the scheme requires Mary to dress up in some rather imaginative costumes and engage in highly charged dialogues with these clients, but all she has to do is keep the game going long enough for Paul to charge in and perform his magic with the frying pan. Mary and Paul get rid of all sorts of riffraff in this manner, including a hippie played by Ed Begley, Jr. The two even begin to believe they are doing society a favor by ridding it of such despicable human beings. Then a problem strolls in through the front door in the shape of a locksmith named Raoul (Robert Beltran). He quickly learns about the couple's seamy activities, but rather than turn them in he soon joins forces with them. Thanks to Raoul the Blands soon make a bit more money selling the clothing and the bodies of their victims. But Raoul has designs on Mary, and he also cheats the couple of their ill-gotten gains. At some point Paul and Mary must heal their relationship while simultaneously defending their treasure from the wily Raoul.

Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov provide "Eating Raoul" with its greatest strengths. Both of them play their characters so straight and on the level that it's hilarious to watch them take part in such extreme activities. "Square" is a word that doesn't do enough to describe these two; they wear matching pajamas to bed--single beds, that is. The film's funniest scenes occur near the end, when Paul and Mary attend a swank party hosted by a guy played by radio personality Don Steele. The double entendres fly fast and furious at this party until Paul and Mary can't stand it anymore. They dispatch the partygoers by tossing an electrical device into the hot tub, then sell off their cars and other valuables. As shocking as these scenes are, what is more shocking is seeing veteran character actress Edie McClurg turn up as an airhead engaged in a number of unusual peccadilloes. While I think parts of the film don't survive the test of time all that well, "Eating Raoul" is still such a darkly humorous film that the central themes easily overcome outdated clothing and set pieces. I wonder if there is a link between this film and the economic policies of recently elected Ronald Reagan?

The DVD version is horrible. While we get trailers for "Big Shot's Funeral," "Dark Crystal," and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," there are no other extras. Worse, the transfer is one of the worst I have seen on DVD. It looks like a compression problem, or a problem with the aspect ratio, wasn't fixed during the transfer. Most of the film looks squashed, for lack of a better term, and it's a most annoying problem that takes away from the viewing experience. Fix the DVD, give us a special edition, and I'll pick up a copy soon. You should, too.

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This long awaited DVD is an incredible disappointment. The major problem that makes this unwatchable is that somehow this movie has been stretched horizontally to fit a widescreen TV. The result makes everything look distorted. I don't know what the original aspect ratio was but this presentation is an abomination. I tried running it on my computer software to manually adjust the picture dimensions. The film does appear to be wider than the standard screen size but not the ratio as presented on this DVD.

And to top it off the print appears to be something of the VHS quality (i.e. poor) with color and resolution deficiences. There appears to be a gash in the screen as if the video was shot from a movie screen with a tear in the top middle. The sound appears to have been mono that someone has doctored up by added fake stereo and reverb, then steering the dialog from side to side. Warning: Listening to this may cause sea sickness.

Sony should be sued for selling this junk. I probably will be returning my copy. One thing for sure: if you are unable to manually adjust the aspect ratio with a computer, do not buy this. I will be anxiously waiting for this to be remastered this is a good and funny film.

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I have waited long for the release of Eating Raoul for years to come to DVD. Now that its here, I have forgotten what a great and funny film it actually is. However, I wasn't expecting much as far as the DVD transfer is concerned (since I first saw it on a deteriorated VHS tape I rented and I would have liked anything even slightly better)but like the other reviewers stated, I don't think the anamorphic transfer is correct. It seems to look better when you watch it streched to fit a full screen television. The company should have done a better job putting this onto DVD and I could have waited longer for better package, mabye with some spceial feature to go with it. Besides the disapointing DVD, the movie is a comedy satire classic and its really great.

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Brilliant and twisted writer/director/actor Paul Bartel stepped on a rainbow several years ago; if nothing else, that means that the sequel for this film that he and Mary Woronov had been planning -"Bland Ambition" -will never happen.

Bartel worked for Roger Corman (and various Corman alumni like Alan Arkush) a lot -directing "Death Race 2000", appearing in such films as "Rock 'n' Roll High School". Corman was (in)famous for cheap but stylish exploitation films, but this film's concept and script were a bit too far out for even Corman -and nobody else would touch the project either.

So Paul and Mary did the film on their own, raising money from all sorts of friends and relatives, buying odds and ends of surplus film stock from studios (which shows in uneven image quality and colour balance) and shooting on weekends with pick-up crews whenever they could afford to rent equipment (leading to credits like "A Sister to the Director" and "Guest Electrician").

It's a hilarious black comedy in which Paul and Mary Bland -innocents adrift in 1980s Los Angeles -realise that they can make enough money to open "Paul & Mary's Country Kitchen", their dream restaurant, by luring singers in with a promise of Mary's abundant charms and despatching them, collecting their money before disposing of the bodies. (The weapon of choice is a cast-iron skillet, the use of which is signalled by a Warner Brothers-style "Boing!" sound effect.)

Then they find themselves involved with shady locksmith Raoul (Robert Beltran); he expands their operation by fencing their victims' cars and by disposing of the bodies through a friend who works for a dog food company. (Shades of "The Corpse Grinders".)

And he decides to move in on Mary. Both Paul and Mary are finding their horizons widening (without realising it) as they ply their new trade, and the resulting triangle is hilarious (unfortunately, its resolution and the result of a "Lady or the Tiger" style climax are telegraphed, unlike other plot twists...).

Black comedy as dark as midnight, but not particularly offensive in execution -most of the sex and violence is by implication, and even the language isn't *too* rude -the "f" word does make a few appearances, but that's about it.

Interesting cameos in this film -Buck Henry as a sleazy bank manager, Hamilton Camp as a con man and director John Landis in an uncredited appearance i haven't yet spotted, and a friend insists he spotted one of the Ramones in the hilarious porn-store scene.

Worth a look if your taste in comedy runs to the off-trail or black variety.

(This film and others in which Bartel and Woronov appear together, and their obvious ease with each other and patent inter-personal chemistry led to rumours that they were or had been married -rather like those Polaroid commercials with James Garner and Mariette Hartley years ago -but they weren't)

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Role Models (2008)

Role Models is not a particularly deep or innovative comedy, in fact it's plotline will be familiar to anyone who has ever watched a movie, period. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't provide lots of laughs and much needed escapism for it's 90 plus minutes.

Paul Rudd And Sean William Scott star as two slackers who find themselves sentenced to 30 days of community service following a work related blow up by Rudd's characther that comes on the heels of being dumped by his longtime girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks). The two are ordered to do their hours of community service at a Big Brothers and Sisters type of organization where each of them are paired up with a "troubled" kid.

Can you guess where this is going? The two men will learn to look past their own self indulgence and care for the kids. A valuable lesson is learned by all. This plot really doesn't matter. What does matter are the performances. Rudd and Scott are hilarious as the overgrown man-children and they share an effortless chemistry. Rudd especially is in top form, spewing sarcasm and self loathing with every line and garnering laughs from his facial expressions alone. Rudd is clearly in his element here.

When Rudd turns into an unselfish nice guy at the end, it's a bit of a stretch for the audience to accept that he made such a quick transition. Rudd's performance may be hilarious, but his character is not that well developed for his transformation to be believable. But hey, this ain't art. It's a largely entertaining buddy comedy with lots of smart and raunchy humor that should be viewed as exactly that.

Like its two lead characters, ROLE MODELS is a movie that doesn't seem to be expecting too much of itself as it lures us into familiar man-child territory.

Seann William Scott and (co-writer) Paul Rudd are Wheeler and Danny, two low-achieving coworkers paid to travel to schools with an act that preaches against drugs while pushing powerful energy-drinks as the safe alternative. The difference between them? Wheeler loves his work and thinks of Danny as his friend. Danny hates his job, the fact that he should have done more with his life and can't commit to being more than a colleague to Wheeler. Danny's mean, sarcastic and rude to coffee shop baristas. Clearly he doesn't deserve a girlfriend like Beth (Elizabeth Banks), who rejects his spontaneous marriage proposal and dumps him instead. Danny's dejection leads to a tangle with the law and soon he and Wheeler are sent to perform 150 hours of community service at the local mentoring program, Sturdy Wings.

This is where the movie grows some wings of its own and really takes off. The flight path may be familiar, and there are no surprises when it comes to a predictably happy landing. But the journey becomes a lot of fun when Wheeler and Danny become "Bigs" to two very different "Littles," Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) and Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

It's clear that on paper at least, our two ROLE MODELS lack all the traditional skills required to teach anything to the kids. Fast-talking, foul-mouthed Ronnie is the product of broken home in need of a father figure, not a "booby" obsessed party lover like Wheeler. The costume-sewing fantasy game participant Augie shouldn't expect much sympathy from the snide Danny. Bad mentoring leads to chaos, confusion and near-tragedy. But somehow, everyone develops the sturdiness of wing to make it to the end having taught something to someone else--and discovered something essential about themselves.

Supporting characters add to the fun throughout, especially Jane Lynch as the ex-coke-addict who founded the Sturdy Wings program and the various costumed characters who take the game of "Laire" very seriously indeed.

ROLE MODELS is a movie that won't teach you much. But it will definitely make you laugh.

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Right off the bat I have to say that Vesta and I almost hit the reject button on the DVD player. This movie started out stupid and dumb and we were pretty sure it had nowhere to go. Time to get up and watch something on Hulu.

"You wanna do it?" She said.

"No, I got the cat." Scruffy, our mangy tom was sitting in my lap and I was comfortable in my recliner.

"Somebody has to get up and get that bloody movie out of that player." She was comfortable in her recliner too. That's the problem with these things, get a glass of wine in your hand, recline and you just don't wanna get up.

So we let the movie play a bit longer and son of a gun if I didn't start laughing on occasion. Vesta too. Then more laughter, then I was into this silly story and it was silly, but somehow, I don't know how, we wound up being entertained and that's what movies are supposed to be about. They're supposed to take you out of you're life for an hour or two and this one did.

Maybe this movie was made for younger people. Vesta thought it was made for guys who like to get together with a few beers and laughs. But whoever the intended audience, we wanna sign up with `em, because though this movie started out stupid and dumb, it wound up being campy and fun. Yes, it was lewd and crude, but heck, it was sort of a romantic comedy too. Sort of a coming of age story as well. All in all, I gotta say, this is an unexpectedly good movie.

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I saw this movie once, laughed a little and was well on my way. Then i rented it again when a few buddies were over and laughed like crazy. There are little pieces in the movie, where it was slow, paul rudd and SWS did a good job in this film. If your in the 18-25yr range this is a must have!!!

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I've seen "Role Models" numerous times in its edited form on FX. I enjoyed it immensely so I purchased the Unrated version. Its still a funny movie with a glaring exception-the foul mouthed adolescent who is Seann William Scott's charge. I'm far from a prude and like inspired crude humor as well as the next guy. I have nothing against movies trying to push the envelope. That said, I found nothing funny about an eight or nine year old spouting profanity some of it of an extremely scatalogical nature. The adults in the film don't seem offended but respond to the kid in kind. This to me smacks of exploitation and I don't think its as cute as the makers of the film seem to think it is. Where's trying to maintain a child's innocence for as long as possible? When I was a kid I heard profanity. I learned not to repeat it in front of my parents after getting my mouth washed out with soap which I'm still tasting some forty years later. This is for the most part a very funny movie that didn't need to appeal to the lowest common denominator to succeed.

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National Lampoon's Vacation (2010)

The picture may be only a bit better than the previous DVD releases...the sound is ridiculous and the 43 second intro from 2003...weak. I do agree that the cover art also sucks but I certainly don't care if the disc delivers the goods...this doesn't. Don't bother to upgrade from your normal DVD..its not!

Hands down, one of the best comedies of the 80's. Chevy was at his best and director Harold Ramis was on a role. (Caddyshack and Stripes.)

Many cuts and versions are out there but the truest I've seen, so far, is the anniversary edition. It's in widescreen (I've heard matted/cropped,not sure, but??), nice 5.1 mix, some decent special features but where are all those deleted scenes and the alternate ending?

Plus, a big [..] I have. "I'm so exited" was the song played when Christie Brinkley pulls along side Chevy(Clark Griswald) in the original. Why, still is "Little boy sweet" a song also by the Pointer Sisters used instead?? Both songs were used in the movie. The latter in the truckstop sceen where Chevy eats the pissed on sandwhich.

Is the copyright on that song that expensive to get it??

Dunno. Great movie. Lotta fun.

Best DVD of it yet. Agreed??

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After all these years of waiting, I was very happy to see that Warner was finally going to give "National Lampoon's Vacation" the Special Edition DVD treatment I always felt it deserved. Now that it's finally here, I'm sorry to say that it isn't as "special" as I'd always hoped it would be.

Although this time the film IS presented in widescreen, it is the type of 1.85:1 ratio that actually crops off some of the picture from top and bottom that the old standard VHS version had. That is always annoying to be sure, but since the DVD shows the movie the way it truly appeared in theaters we can't really complain about that. You have to look at it this way: VHS was just showing MORE than was seen in the theater.

The special features leave much to be desired. The group commentary track with Director Harold Ramis, Producer Matty Simmons, Chevy Chase, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron and Randy Quaid was ok, but I've heard much better commentary on other films. With few exceptions, they really didn't say much that was very interesting or insightful, and there were several gaps during the film where no one seemed to say anything! And where was Beverly D'Angelo? I can't believe that she wouldn't have wanted to take part, especially since she appeared a few years ago on the TBS "Dinner & A Movie" with Paul and Annabelle to talk about the movie during commercial breaks with them!

The "Interactive Truckster Gallery" was pretty much a bore, with the exception of the section where stunt co-ordinator Dick Ziker talked about his jump in the desert for the crash scene. Dana Barron also offered an explanation why she only appeared in the first film in the gallery as well. The rest of it was not anything really noteworthy.

The new introduction to the film by Simmons, Chase and Quaid was just a short, silly little piece of nothing. The trailer is here, but I think the original DVD had it too so that isn't anything special. The other languages for audio are a nice touch. Try playing the scene where Clark had a temper tantrum in the car in French, Spanish or Portuguese for a laugh or two.

My big complaint is about the special features that were NOT present, such as deleted scenes. In the shooting script, there are several scenes that could have been presented here, including an alternate ending. The fact that Aunt Edna didn't really die, the Kamp Komfort clerk dressing up as a moose for the "wildlife fun" (see the photo during the end credits of him in the moose outfit), Clark fearing the police are chasing him after he "robbed the hotel" and stopped for gas (where he got the sandwiches he mentioned shortly before discovering Aunt Edna's "death") and the alternate ending would have been good to see, but no dice. No true "special edition" should be without a deleted scenes gallery!

My final complaint is the fact that the original soundtrack was not restored. Unlike the theater and original VHS versions, The Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited" was not present during the highway Ferrari scenes. Similar to the version now shown on cable and the first DVD, "Little Boy Sweet" replaces it. What makes that even more annoying is the fact that the end credits were NEVER changed. "I'm So Excited" is still listed as appearing in ALL cable and home video releases. That is almost like adding insult to injury. Why not restore the original soundtrack for the 20th anniversary?

In summary, I give this DVD 3 stars, just middle ground. It's an improvement over the first one, but definitely not all that it could be. Die-hard fans of the movie might want to pick it up, since there might not be any better releases for the 25th or any other anniversary. If your opinion is that you can take it or leave it, I would advise you to just pay a couple of bucks to rent it and save the rest of your money for something better.

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NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION still stands up as one of the funniest road movies ever made. With a canny script and dead-on performances from the superb ensemble cast, it serves as a cautionary tale for families everywhere how NOT to have the family vacation from hell.

Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo) and their two children (Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall) embark on a huge, life-consuming odyssey, otherwise known as the cross-country trip to Walley World in California.

Along the way, they have to contend with a trip to their hillbilly cousins Eddie and Catherine (Randy Quaid and Miriam Flynn) and end up dragging crochety old Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) along for the ride through Phoenix. Adding insult to injury is the shapely blonde in the red Ferrari (Christie Brinkley) who is following Clark "all the way"...

Hilarious all the way. It is indeed painful to watch the hapless Clark fumble his way (Basil Fawlty-style) through the series of disasters that befall him on his vacation.

The DVD transfer is wonderful after years of...fuzzed-out video transfers.

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Great movie that still holds up today. Chevy Chase and Anthony Michael Hall make the film with superb performances. As far as the DVD, don't buy this thinking you are 'upgrading' your collection to DVD because the quality is just not there. The disc picture quality is NO better than the VHS and is still pan-n-scan. I did a side by side and I think I almost prefer the VHS picture over the DVD, seems to be clearer. The sound is in MONO, which really takes away from the viewing enjoyment. The only reason to upgrade to DVD on thid one would be for the theatrical trailer or convience of chapter search. There also are a few cast bios but nothing more. I'm almost positive that Criterion or someone will re-release this as a special edition SOMEDAY, as this is a really disgraceful handling of an American Treasure.

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Broadcast News (The Criterion Collection) (1987)

Of all James L. Brooks' films, Broadcast News is the most successful at merging his T.V. sitcom sensibilities with his cinematic aspirations. His film is not only chock full of truisms about network news but is also an incredibly entertaining and witty romantic comedy that is unafraid to sprinkle moments of compelling drama throughout.

The first disc includes an audio commentary with writer-director-producer James L. Brooks and editor Richard Marks. Rather appropriately, Brooks starts off with talking about the genesis of the film and how the success of Terms of Endearment affected it. He points out the bits in the film that came from his extensive research and touches upon the casting of the lead roles for example, Holly Hunter was a last minute addition. Brooks is refreshingly candid and tells all kinds of fascinating filming anecdotes.

Also included is a theatrical trailer.

The second disc starts off with a 36-minute documentary entitled, James L. Brooks A Singular Voice, with past collaborators singing his praises. It starts off with his trailblazing work in T.V. with 227, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Simpsons and how he helped change the medium. It also examines his transition into film and the success of Terms and how it led to Broadcast News.

There is an alternate ending and 19 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary by Brooks. The ending is quite visceral and emotionally raw but is fascinating alternative to what is in the final film. For the deleted footage, Brooks talks about why it was cut and puts it into context. Interestingly, an entire subplot involving Tom and his news source was cut out.

Also included is an interview with Susan Zirinsky, a veteran CBS News producer, one of the models for Jane in the film, and an advisor and associate producer. She talks about meeting Brooks for the first time as well as telling amusing and engaging anecdotes that really shed light on how truthful the film is about journalism. This is a fantastic extra and one of the highlights of this edition.

There is a promotional featurette done at the time of the film's release that, at times, plays like an extended trailer only with perceptive interview soundbites from Brooks and the cast. Still, it is interesting to watch. Even better is additional interviews and on-set footage not included in the featurette that runs an impressive 18 minutes. It provides quite a bit of insight into Brooks' intentions and how the film got made.

A crackerjack of a movie, it's an intelligent and very funny look at TV broadcast news and the people who bring it to us. William Hurt is the pretty face/no brains anchor, Albert Brooks the smart writer who wants to be an anchor but doesn't have the talent, and Holly Hunter is the hyperactive producer who falls for both guys and loses both. So much is going on in this movie that repeated viewings reveal new insights and are always enjoyable. Great acting by all, and the script is terrific. The only fault, and it's a minor one, is the epilogue: it's superfluous. To me, this is one of the best, if not THE best, movies of the 80's.

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While this is without question a 5-star film, the dvd leaves MUCH to be desired. Let me begin with the widescreen framing. I was happy to finally see this arrive on dvd in its proper wide format. Out of curiosity I took out my oft-played VHS copy and compared the compositions. Understanding that many 1.85:1 pictures are merely 1.33:1 aspects with mattes placed on the top and bottom of the frame, I wasn't expecting to be too disappointed with the missing, albeit unintended, visual information. But I have to say not only is the top and bottom masked off, but the SIDES are zoomed in and cropped as well. In other words you lose information on ALL FOUR SIDES, and it does NOT look good. This CANNOT be what James L. Brooks had in mind...could it?!?! Sorry to say, but this has to be one of the most RARE examples where the "full-frame", that is, full aperture is preferred over the letterboxed edition. Which brings me to my next point: somebody PLEASE re-issue this as a Special Edition, replete with commentaries, and any extra footage. Finally, whoever, please, PLEASE re-frame this into a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer. Widescreen is preferred, but on the existing dvd the framing is just too tight.

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The accuracy of Criterion's new blu-ray version of BROADCAST NEWS is evident the minute the 20th-Century Fox logo is displayed: it is rich in the kind of grain that dominated film stock of the eighties. The color timing is superb and topples all previous video releases in richness and detail. The video extras are indulgent promotional pieces crass for Criterion; but the commentary by Brooks will be of interest for those that want to delve deeper.

The film is a pinnacle in Brooks' career he never did anything better, before or since, and all his experience in the tacky world of sitcom television really pays off here and he successfully avoids making a pastiche of Chayefsky's cynically brilliant NETOWRK in favor of his own perceptive humanist view. Brooks rightfully and continually praises his marvelous BROADCAST NEWS cast; it's a picture dependent on their perfectly pitched performances.

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The media as purveyors of sensational 'news' in the spirit of good 'salesmanship' and entertainment as opposed to actually reporting unbiased, important events and issues to inform the public, that is journalism, as it was meant to be, is represented in this charming and witty film from the genius of James L. Brooks. (Terms of Endearment, As Good as it Gets) To be fair, some television news organizations attempt to report important events as they happen, avoiding sensationalism, the need to entertain, and maintain a modicum of integrity. But television news is more and more about the dazzling visual, the shocking threeminute sound bite between the all-important advertisements. This film cleverly addresses the question on what is 'real' news and what 'sells'. In the past we sort of had a clue or at least a choice as to what news source was credible, i.e., tabloid-ism and/or serious journalism. It all seems now to be blurred sensationalism, gossip, opinion, selling and the so-called 'facts' of an event or issue has now appeared to all have melded together in the pursuit of market share and the almighty dollar.

The character, Tom, (William Hurt) is a striving newsreader, and after reading sports at a local station, manages to land a job at one of the big networks. He is a little slow, can't write, and wouldn't know a real story if it dropped on his head, but he's good looking, personable, can at least read, and above all, has the innate ability to sell the birds off the trees. Here is the new force in television journalism news anchor as television star. Then there is Aaron, (Albert Brooks) the reporter's reporter brilliant, serious, idealistic and wholly uncharismatic in the popular sense. Although a writer with Pulitzer Prize ability, he attempts to read the news one Sunday night and almost drowns in his own flop sweat. Aaron is not a newsreader but a true writer and investigative journalist, a man who believes in the integrity of his profession. Then, of course, there's Jane, (Holly Hunter) a highly-strung, also brilliant, obsessive news producer, who shares this same idealistic integrity about journalism as her co-worker and best friend, Aaron. The film is about these three diverse and colourful individuals, who are drawn together for the same reasons, ambition and the news, but whose ideas about the news, their values concerning integrity, at least for one, are so different. This film is also about love, relationships and how the passionate desires of the heart do not necessarily match the logic of the head.

At the time of it release, this film was acclaimed as the best romantic comedy to come out in years. It continues to be enormously entertaining and the issues it raises are relevant today. The film truly depicts the world of television news, how its standards have slowly dropped from reporting the events and issues to entertaining us with gossip, sensationalism and that all-important dazzling visual news is now about entertainment and selling. This is a film that should be pulled from the shelf occasionally and watched to remind us about integrity, maintaining a high standard in our values, and what great movie making is all about. Five Stars.

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Casa de Mi Padre (2012)

I love telenovelas! That being said, Will Ferrell's Spanish in "My Father's House" is just bad enough that I can almost understand it, and trust me: I do NOT speak Spanish, so the captions are a treat.

This delightful spoof takes itself seriously every single second of its running time, which always adds to the fun. When the badly made fake white puma laughed sardonically, I bought every moment; and I loved the horseback riding on stuffed animals with a fan blowing their hair. Any time our three heroes are riding in the pickup, the same scene goes by the "windows" and you can practically see the wires holding up the bushes. Rough scene shifts and laughably poor continuity were fun all the way, e.g., our hero has a roll-your-own cigarette in his mouth, dribbling tobacco down his shirt front. In the next camera angle...no cigarette. Then from another view, there is that cigarette again!

We follow the estupido second son of a successful Mexican rancher. All the dialogue is in Spanish with the exception of a creepy American DEA officer who speaks a clumsy combination. This cast is terrific:

* Will Ferrell ("The Other Guys") is Armando, a well-meaning but clumsy hombre who will never measure up to his padre's expectations. He is still a virgin because the "right woman" hasn't come along. I think his chances would improve if he could only learn how to roll his own cigarettes!

* Genesis Rodriguez ("Man on a Ledge") Sonia seems to be the "right woman" despite the fact that she is engaged to Armando's brother and appears to be connected to drug lords. In keeping with the telenovela tradition, she sings at the end!

* Diego Luna ("Y tu mamá también") Raul is Papa's favorite. Little does the old man suspect that his son's obvious succe$$ is NOT based on livestock!

* Gael Garcia Bernal ("Letters to Juliet") is an especially great "bad guy!" He lights two Canadian Slim cigarettes and smokes them alternately with either hand. He wears white cowboy boots that are waaaay too long, and is obviously having a blast! Actually, a sharp-eyed Amazon reader enlightened me: Those white boots are not too big for him. He says they are called chuntaros and they are made that way. I added this information on my blog @ JayFlix.net, as well. Thanks!

There is a hilarious scene where two Mexicans are discussing the drug trade. The "Narco" rationalizes that he isn't selling drugs to Mexicans, just fat, stupid Americanos. I was delighted with the equal time granted to the Gringos before the film ended!

The sound track is loaded with referential, mariachi-tinged música that adds to the fun. The men's trio "No Se" ("I Don't Know"), complete with bongos, was a delight. Amazon.com will let me know when I can add this one to my collection.

Nice parody of Westerns and Spanish telenovelas. Of course seeing a "gringo" play the lead in this comedy role with a largely Mexican cast was going to be fun, but Ferrell was absolutely perfect and the only guy that could have pulled it off very well.

It's true Will's career has been up and down with hits and misses, but he made a homerun here. I really enjoyed the movie.

With his poor broken Spanish and intentional bad acting guaranteed a laugh a minute. Just looking as his black perm and acting Mexican pretty much sold the movie. However, the barrage of over the top and bizarre sequences pretty much elevated the movie even more (and there are too many too list).

Probably my favorite involved the ones involving the "White cat" (pure gold).

The supporting cast is made of acclaimed Mexicans actors like Diego Luna, and the late Pedro Armendáriz Jr., and young up and coming actress Genesis Rodriguez who all gave great comedic performances.

You can tell they really had fun with this one.

Recommended.

Buy Casa de Mi Padre (2012) Now

This deadpan spoof of Mexican "telenovelas" generates a fair quotient of laughs provided you tap into its goofy spirit. Will Ferrell stars in this all-Spanish language tale of a Mexican rancher who has to defend his father's land after his no-good brother (Diego Luna) shows up having owed a debt to a drug lord (Gael Garcia Bernal). Andrew Steele apparently wrote "Casa De Mi Padre" in English, but the film is a faithful Mexican soaper all the way through, and one's familiarity with the genre probably will dictate how much of the film you'll find funny. Though I'm certainly not a constant viewer of Univision, there are some inspired moments here along with several amusing songs penned by score composers Andrew Feltenstein and John Nau. Lionsgate's Blu-Ray of this barely-released comedy hits stores on the 17th with commentary with Ferrell, Steele and director Matt Piedmont on-hand; deleted scenes; commercials; a featurette; music video; and interview with the late Pedro Armendariz, Jr., who co-stars in the film. The 1080p transfer is fine (English subs run on the picture itself as opposed to below it) and the DTS MA audio is nicely engineered.

Read Best Reviews of Casa de Mi Padre (2012) Here

Not a hater, but also not a Will Ferrell fanatic. I've liked him in stuff and not liked him in stuff. But I do think the concept behind CASA DE MI PADRE is sort of genius. Take a popular American comedic actor who happens to be the gringoest gringo around and plant him in a Mexican melodrama and have him speak entirely in Spanish. In Ferrell's own words: "It's telenovela meets bad Mexican western." Just the novelty of seeing Ferrell take on this out-of-left-field role and then full-on committing to it was worth the price of admission. To quote Kris Kristofferson's brief opening voice-over: "If it sounds Spanish, man, that's what it is. It's a Spanish movie." For trivia-heads, this is a nod to Kristofferson's spoken opening of his version of the song "Me and Bobby McGee." And, yes, those are Christina Aguilera's lips as she belts out the title song in the opening credits.

Ferrell plays Armando Alvarez, a humble Mexican who takes pride in toiling on his father's land. But the ranch has fallen on hard times, thanks in large part to the rampant neighborhood drug trafficking. The Alvarez household is pinning their hopes on Raul (Diego Luna), the other and smarter Alvarez son who now returns after years away making a success of himself. Raul brings with him his sultry fiancee Sonia (Genesis Rodriguez), and never mind that Sonia has messed-up ties to the local drug kingpin, the elegant La Onza (Gael García Bernal). And, it turns out, the bold and clever Raul isn't the panacea to the ills of the Alvarez clan. Far from it. So, now, can Armando step out of his brother's shadow and resolve the community's drug problem? He'll have to do it with an unending hail of bullets and in gratuitous slo-mo. Bring on the gun battles, but, please, not until the final 20 minutes.

With English sub-titles and shot in epic "Mexicoscope," CASE DE MI PADRE hilariously spoofs those trashy yet somehow addictive telenovelas. The filmmakers purposely riddle the film with deliberately obvious and cheap sets, with dubious blocking and editing gaffes and rear screen snafus. There are sight gags involving dummies briefly replacing the actors in action sequences. The film is scratched up in places and occasionally skips. There are bizarre hallucinatory interludes and musical numbers with the accompanying zestful gritos (really enjoyed the song "Yo No Se"). It all kept me giggling.

Will Ferrell's accent sounds convincing to me. I actually assumed his voice had been dubbed in by someone else. But, no, that's Will himself servicing the dialogue, relying on his four years of high school Spanish and a dialect coach and undoubtedly on his fellow cast members who are native Spanish speakers. It's weird, by the way, to see Gael García Bernal in a comedy and being funny. He's certainly funnier here than he was in AMORES PERROS. And that's exactly how I'm aiming to push this film to my friends: "Hey, check out CASA DE MI PADRe... it's funnier than AMORES PERROS." Plus, this one has a fake mystical white mountain lion. Just in case that's the decider for you.

The DVD's bonus stuff:

Audio Commentary with Will Ferrell, director Matt Piedmont and writer/producer Andrew Steele

The late Pedro Armendariz Jr.'s Final Interview (00:03:38 minutes)

10 Deleted Scenes (totaling 00:19:38 minutes)

Making Of CASA DE MI PADRE featurette, worth it alone for the segment featuring Luna and Bernal in a sit-down interview (00:15:44 minutes)

"Fight for Love" Music Video original song performed by Will Ferrell and Genesis Rodriguez

3 fake commercials (totaling 00:02:57 minutes)

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I thought the movie was going to be interesting and fun because of the cast. However, it was boring with no good story or funny situations.

Don't waste your time watching it.

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Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)

Gathered together in the Bahamas for their annual one-week reunion, four close couples eagerly reconnect, sharing news about their lives and relationships. But their intimate week in paradise is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of Sheila's ex-husband, Mike, who hopes to break up her new marriage with Troy and win her back. The others soon realize they too are not immune to the challenges of commitment and fidelity. Angela doesn't believe her husband, Marcus, can be faithful now that he's a celebrity television newscaster. Dianne and Terry's relationship is feeling the strain of raising children. And Patricia, a successful self-help psychologist, must finally reveal the deep flaws in her seemingly perfect marriage to Gavin. With their relationships hanging in the balance when they return home, each couple must choose between blame and forgiveness, doubt and faith, with life-altering consequences.

The truth of the matter is that I have mixed feelings about this movie. Am I glad I saw it? Yes! This is one movie I wouldn't mind seeing again (if only to watch Shelia). Did I expect something different? Yes and no. Did I enjoy the movie? Yes, I'd have to say that I did. The truth is that it is just a different type of movie. The first movie examined how individuals dealt with the problems in their marriages; the good, the bad and the ugly. And in the first movie, they all had better relationships and a greater understanding of each other as people. Now, the second movie addresses what happens when a relationship breaks down (literally) and how we as human beings learn to cope with the change, hardships and difficulties. See, not bad, but different.

I feel the mark of a good movie is when you forget you are watching it, and you get drawn into the story. And let me assure you that this will happen. I will admit that this movie had a lot packed into it, but it gives you a fresh look on how these characters have changed, or not changed, over the three years since the first movie. It is a very emotional ride at times, but it all pays off when Shelia embarrasses Marcus, or when Troy stands up for his wife, and Janet's character really shows her other side.

The location for the reunion was absolutely beautiful, and get to see the conversations between the men and the women (in individual groups) and then see how the stories match up as the movie continues beyond the weekend get-a-way. There really is no need to describe the story any further because each person will experience it differently. Personally, I thought the movie began a bit slowly, however when it got to the end, I was happy for the slow parts it gave me time to catch up. Overall: if you like Tyler Perry movies, you should see this movie. It is worth the ride, very enjoyable.

"Why Did I Get Married Too" reunites the four couples again for their annual marriage retreat, this time in the Bahamas. It's pretty much the same scenario and plot from the first installment, but this time it's just not that interesting to watch. Sheila's ex-husband shows up alone and unexpectedly to the retreat just to "diss" Troy (Sheila's new hubby) and make everyone uncomfortable. Angela is talking trash once again, and provides the most laughable moments. Lou Gossett, Jr. and Cicely Tyson have a cameo appearance as an elderly couple who still love each other after years of marriage. Their story provides probably the only endearing moment of the entire film.

Then there's the usual dialogue about marriage the guy talk, the girl talk, some drinks, some jokes, some insults and then when the couples return home, that's when all of the trouble begins. I won't go into all of the details, but it's just not plausible that four couples, who are friends, would have so much extreme drama going on in their lives at the same time. This movie was just drama for the sake of drama, and it added nothing to the first "Why Did I Get Married?" which was an excellent movie. I don't know why Tyler Perry even bothered to make a sequel other than to perhaps keep Malik Yoba employed and to show that Janet's acting skills have slightly improved.

Like everyone else, I love Tasha Smith's "Angela" character, but she was just way over the top this time. (No man would stay married to a woman who clowns like that in public ALL THE TIME.) The ending was completely unnecessary, considering that this was supposed to be a "romantic comedy". It's obvious that TP didn't really know how to end the movie, so he kept piling on more & more drama until he finally ran out of ideas. (For example, showing up clowning on someone's job just to embarrass them after you've already smashed up the crib? Was this necessary?) I was exhausted after the movie ended. Just way too much melodrama within a 2-hour period. Hopefully, there won't be a "Why Did I Get Married 3?" (or "Why Did I Get Married Again?"), but somehow (unfortunately) I think there will be one.

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I give this movie 1 star it would have gotten half a star but that is not an option.

Tyler Perry's first problem was relying on Janet Jackson to carry the film. She is not the greatest actress in the world and I understand that her brother Michael Jackson died while she made this movie, but still shouldn't have relied on her. Her performance was better in this film than the previous but not by much. In the first film each couple had equal problems and shared equal screen time developing what caused the problems in their marriages. In this film only Patricia/Gavin and Angela/Marcus stories were really developed. The other two couples Troy/Sheila/Mike & Diane/Terry fell flat and not developed like the other two couples.

Angela & Marcus: This story was a little inconsistent, Angela blamed Marcus for catching VD when it was her who got VD first. Angela is checking pulse beats, mileage, and how many miles from point A to point B just proves she is too insecure and why is she in the marriage in the first place. She was the one who cheated first from the first film, yet she is harping on Marcus, first she got on to him in the first film for not having a job and now that he has one that pays well she is still unhappy. I don't get it. She needs to go drink herself into kidney failure. Why didn't Marcus call Angela out on her catching venereal disease first, he had to sit there and take her constant verbal abuse. Should have told her to take a midol and shut her loud, obnoxious ass up. She pulls a Patricia and embarrasses him at his job, could have gotten him fired, and she would complain again how he has no job and how it's his fault he got fired.

Patricia & Gavin: I guess since Gavin was going to be killed off, he tried to turn him into an ass, didn't work on me. The only wrong he did was burn the baby photos in a drunken stupor. Patricia gives out advice but can't take her own damn advice, did she sit there and write a pro and con list about Gavin since she told Diane and Angela to do that in the first film....hell no she didn't. How the hell can Patricia write a book about marriage and hers was falling apart. Then she announces the divorce in front of her friends without telling Gavin first, just blind sided him with that bit of important news. Patricia keeps everything bottled in and doesn't discuss anything with her husband and you could tell by Gavin's face that he just looked tired. She takes things too far and goes and embarrass the man at his job by having a gay man pop out of a wedding cake and playing "It's Raining Men." Sorry but Patricia was being a real bitch with issues. Sorry, wouldn't accept any marriage advice from Patricia yet alone read any of her books. Tyler relied on this story to carry the film but Jackson's acting was a no and all her lines were repeated over and over, sometimes in the same scene, she couldn't say anything else but repeat herself.

Terry & Diane: This story was the worst throughout the whole film. Diane is all happy and cheerful because she is having an emotional affair with a co-worker. It was never explained why she leaned on this co-worker and not her husband. It seemed that Terry tried everything to spend time with her and this and that. This story fell flat big time.

Sheila & Troy: Another underdeveloped story and a cop out. Why was it hard for Troy to get a job working in law enforcement, he has credentials when he was in Colorado. Then pull a Soul Food scene and have Sheila ask her ex-husband to get her current husband a job. Sheila asks the man that abused her both physically and emotionally to get her current husband a job, that makes no sense whatsoever and definitely a wtf moment. The story should have resolved around Troy adjusting the move from the North to the South and trying to fit in with Sheila's friends, since he left everything in Colorado. Mike having cancer was the biggest cop out I've ever seen.

Towards the end in the hospital was just dumb, Patricia telling everyone to fix their problems. Sorry dear, your marriage is screwed and not going to fix anything just cause you say so. One couple were dealing with issues that needed longer to heal that being Terry & Diane dealing with Diane's emotional cheating, cause that's a big thing. The ending was just horrible, yea The Rock makes a cameo, now he's going to be a witness to Patricia's bitchiness so he better get out while he can. She writes a book on healing, healing from what her selfish stank attitude, that caused Gavin to dive head first into traffic. Gavin's death wasn't believable because the driver hit Gavin's passenger side and his car wasn't that damaged. She caused two people in her life to die because of her selfishness. Her son because she was in a mad dash from rain water (seriously) to strap her son securely in a car seat. What if the water touched her was she going to melt, might as well since she is such a witch. Then her husband Gavin all over money saying he didn't contribute or write. Patricia obviously lost some damn brain cells because in the first film she writes her books solely on the couples retreat she goes to with her friends and isn't Gavin part of the retreat, she sure as hell doesn't go by herself. I just do not like Patricia. Now she kill Rock if she wants to, I'm punch her in the face and she can write a book on that.

This film was just a big letdown.

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I enjoyed this movie soooooooooooo much i can relate. They all did a good job and JANET man did she act the hell out of that part i think the passing of Micheal Jackson had something to do with itgood job on her behalf. I don't think i wanted it to end like that BUT Mr. Perry sure made of for it with a surprise guess at the end. I love Angelia and Marcus she maybe loud and sometimes ghetto be we all can relate she just voice what she is thinking. Jill Scott's character in regards to Mike Karma is a B..... some men just cant appreciate whats in front of them until its too late. I laughed a lot and it was fun a very good sequel. I can honestly say I would like to see a 3rd movie made.

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At the end of this movie Janet Jackson's character drives her soon to be ex-husband to his death and winds up grinning at the end of the movie as she gazes upon her next sexual prospect. This movie ended like a horror movie. It is a terrible example for any Black women who might be watching. That kind of aggressive, sadistic behavior is what you might read in the news, not in a romantic comedy or drama or whatever this melodrama was supposed to be.

I hope Black women do not watch this movie and think this movie ending was okay because it was quite sinister. The Black men also seem unusually weak while the Black women appear dominant. No man really wants a loud mouthed, dominant woman, no matter what Tyler Perry says. This movie gave me nightmares.

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Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (1967)

Why was Playtime a failure, sending Jacques Tati into bankruptcy and costing him control over his life's work of films? His previous film, My Uncle, had been a commercial and artistic success. M. Hulot's Holiday and Jour de Fete had gained Tati world-wide recognition and respect. He had become recognized as one of the few authentic geniuses of film.

Watch Playtime and I think you'll find the answer. Tati in his earlier films placed Hulot in situations where we could empathize with him. Hulot was an innocent. As we came to like him, we also came to like the people he encountered. Even with their pretensions and idiosyncrasies, we could see something of ourselves in them. Tati might be holding up a mirror for us to look in, but M. Hulot was such a gentle companion that we smiled as we recognized ourselves.

With Playtime, there is little Hulot. Instead, we have Tati's view on all sorts of social and cultural issues, from the sterility he saw in much of modern life to modern architecture, group behavior, impersonal offices, loneliness, boorishness and American tourists. We're observers, and our job is to share Tati's viewpoint. Hulot, now middle-aged, has become a minor player in the film. In his earlier movies, Tati was careful to give us small numbers of people with whom, along with Hulot, we could come to know. In My Uncle, for instance, it was essentially one family and one modern home, along with Hulot's own apartment and his neighbors. In M. Hulot's Holiday, it was a small seaside hotel and its guests. With Playtime, we have a large, impersonal office building, all glass and right angles, filled with people -employees, visitors, exposition guests, customers. Then we have an apartment building with huge curtain-less windows allowing the pedestrians to look right in, and we're among the pedestrians. Then we have a nightclub filled with customers, waiters and managers. There is little opportunity to get to know any of these people, much less develop affection for them.

However, as with all his movies, Tati fills Playtime with streams of intricate and carefully developed comic situations (although comic is too broad a term), often that build from small happenings we've barely noticed. There is only sporadic and incidental dialogue, but sound effects are vital to the movie, as subtle and amusing as what we see.

As sterile and unattractive as Tati makes the airport, the office building, a convenience store and the apartment, there are such odd and subtle sights as the bobbing wimple wings on two nuns, a floor sweeper staring at a booted officer, Hulot suddenly sliding down a floor, glass windows and doors impossible to tell if they're there or not, a table lamp that dispenses cigarettes, strange-looking and wobbling food at a self-service counter...and the list simply goes on. And it's not just one thing at a time. Tati can fill a screen with all sorts of amusing occurrences, some happening in the foreground, some in back, some at the sides.

The last hour of the movie takes place in a modern nightclub, the Royal Garden, which has just opened and is barely ready for its customers. A dance floor tile sticks to a maitre d's shoe, a fish is ostentatiously finished table-side by a waiter...then finished again and again by mistake while the two customers ooh and ah. A bow tie falls in the sauce. A bus-load of tourists suddenly appear. When Hulot manages to accidently shatter one of the glass doors to the restaurant, it is a culmination to all those glass walls we've been looking through and walking into. The follow-up gag with the round door opener is almost worth the price of the DVD. As the modern restaurant gradually disintegrates around us, Tati finally begins to ease up on personal viewpoints and let's us simply enjoy the sight of people becoming more like people. And that, I suspect, is the point Tati wanted to make. In an odd sort of way, the last ten minutes evoke the humor and warmth of previous Tati movies...a packed traffic circle with all the cars moving slowly together; a father taking a toy horn from his little boy and blowing it, too; the bittersweet last look at Hulot walking past a bus where a young woman he met at the nightclub is being taken to the airport with her tourist group.

If you like Tati's viewpoint on the impersonalization of modern society, you'll probably like Playtime. Some critics call it his masterpiece. If you like Tati, I think Playtime is essential, if only to understand what happened to him. The movie is an idiosyncratic and gallant failure, in my view, and much too long. Still, I'd rather watch Playtime than most of what passes as genius in films today.

The new Criterion release looks very good. This edition has several extra features including supplements about Tati and an audio interview with him. The case also contains an insert with an essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum, identified as a film critic.

French director Jacques Tati is considered as one of the best directors of all time. Known for his comedic work in France, his character Monsieur Hulot has appeared in several successful comedic films such as "Juor de Fete", M. Hulot's Holday", "Mon Oncle", "Traffic" but there is one film that will be his accolade. That film is "Playtime".

Considered a masterpiece by critics, the film was also a commercial failure and was the most expensive film ever created in France as Tati created a set featuring a whole city block with high rise buildings that looked incredibly real. But the film was ahead of its time.

"Playtime" is a visual film with no significant plot, nor does it have much dialogue. It's a film that is driven by its many characters onscreen and the elaborate setup as characters, buildings and vehicles are treated with so much detail on the film, that it just a feast for ones easy as Tati absolutely created a film that was sheer brilliance.

But part of the problem was his risky gamble on 70 mm widescreen and stereophonic sound. Many theaters were not equipped to handle that and to make things worse (but understandable) is the lack of dialogue which can easily turn off audiences. So, needless to say, the film didn't do well in France and also in America.

It's after Tati died in 1982, is when people found admiration in his work and seeing how his films were truly amazing.

"Playtime" is like a smorgasbord of life being changed by modern technology and as Tati was known to do, lambast modern society as he was a man that was definitely "old school" to the time of his death.

The film revolves around Tati's famous character Monsieur Hulot and an American tourist named Barbara.

For Monsieur Hulot, he easily gets lost in the city and leads him to adventures to various areas such as an office building (which he had a problem with today's modern architecture) as he gets lost trying to get to his meeting and ends up being pulled away to a high-tech trade expedition, a high-tech apartment and then leads him to nightclub known as the Royal Guarden.

As for Barbara, she just wants to experience the beauty of Paris. She accompanies her (loud) American friends but she rather enjoy France her own way. Obviously Barbara had different ideas in mind of Paris but instead she receives a modernize setting.

The film culminates with the carousel of cars as Barbara must leave the city and sees almost a carousel/parade of all these vehicles all around her and how all the people react. What we see is a city that has been transformed to a festive, enormous metropolitan playground.

"Playtime" focuses on these two characters (and other characters who shows up more than once), Tati showcases modernization (which looks beautiful) but it's that demolishing of the France that he loves and now getting used to this new France is what makes "Playtime" quite entertaining.

Viewers can watch "Playtime" with its original French audio but also an International version which features the film in English.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"Playtime" is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1 Aspect Ratio). Accord to Criterion, the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen are normal for this format. The HD digital transfer was created on Spirit Datacine from the 35mm reduction internegative made from the 65 mm interpositive. Thousands of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system and Pixl Farm's PFClean system, while Digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain and noise reduction.

"Playtime" is featured in its original French language but also a alternate International soundtrack which features a few scenes with English dub.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in lossless stereo. Criterion mentions that the soundtrack for "Playtime" was remastered at 24-bit from the orignal stereo audio stems. Clicks, thumps, hiss and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using Audio Cube's integrated audio workstation.

Subtitles are provided in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Playtime" comes with the following special features:

* Video introduction by writer, director, and performer Terry Jones (6:13) Terry Jones talks about "Playtime" and what he remembered when he watched in on the theater for the first time, what he thought about the film and also a little information about Jacques Tati.

* Selected scene commentary by film historian Philip Kemp (46:44) A well done commentary by Philip Kemp as he talks about certain scenes from the film. Kemp definitely giving an intelligent and yet smooth delivery for commentary for the film. Very informative!

* Au-delà de "Playtime," a short documentary featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the production (6:30) Featuring a behind-the-scenes look of how the set was created for "Playtime" and video footage of Jacques Tati with the cast and crew.

* Tati Story, a short biographical film (20:38) A featurette celebrating the work of director Jacques Tati. Featuring photos and video of Jacques Tati from when he was a child to when worked on his final film. Very good insight to Tati's personal life and his career.

* "Jacques Tati in Monsieur Hulot's Work," a 1976 BBC Omnibus program featuring Tati (49:28) Featuring an interview conduced by Gavin Millar who interviews Tati at the Hotel de la Plage about M. Hulot and films that the character has appeared in.

* Rare audio interview with Tati from the U.S. debut of Playtime at the 1972 San Francisco International Film Festival (Courtesy of Pacifica Radio Archives) Featuring Jacques Tati at the 1972 SF International Film Festival (discussion moderated by Albert Johnson) and insight of Tati's feelings of the film being showing in the US and his appreciation for the American fans who enjoyed the film. A great audio recording that gives us insight of Jacques Tati.

* Video interview with script supervisor Sylvette Baudrot (12:09) Sylvette Baudrot talks about working on the film and reveals some secrets of how Tati made this film work.

* Cours du soir, a 1967 short film written by and starring Tati (27:41) A short film in which features Tati teaching a mime class.

Also, included is an essay (in the insert) by Jonathan Rosenbaum (a film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987-2000) titled "The Dance of Playtime".

JUDGMENT CALL:

"Playtime" happened to be the first Jacques Tati film that I have ever watched. I was familiar with his character of M. Hulot but for years, I have wanted to watch and experience the film.

The first thing that I found surprising is the attention to detail as the unbelievable set Tati's company had created was just fantastic. The buildings look modern, the set looks like a major section of Paris with all the people, buildings and vehicles. And sure enough, "Playtime" is a film that utilizes everything on screen to show how modern technology has literally chanted the landscape. Some who embrace the changes and convenience of modernization and some who feel they are left behind and are literally lost.

What makes this film work outside of its incredible set is that Tati is a perfectionist. He literally directs each person in the film. Everyone has an import part to play. May it be how characters have this choreographed walk as they go off in several directions to characters at a restaurant as we see people dancing on the dance floor, each person dancing differently. While servants are trying to get the food out and you see visual gags as one servant clearly has their eyes on something inside the club, while another is attentive to the female patrons and those who are desperately trying to get their food out. It may seem chaotic, but Tati knows what he wanted to get onscreen and succeeds.

"Playtime" features absolutely beautiful cinematography as we see bungalows on the work floor which work almost like a maze. We see buildings that appear to be metallic and the lighting automatically synchronizing when they turn on. We see vehicles move almost in synch with other vehicles.

We see people throughout the city in similar routines at work, we see people promoting the latest in modern technology ala the late 60's and what is most amazing is that there is hardly any dialogue. It's like you are given an upfront look at how life is in the city and seeing how various people react to each other.

The film plays out quite interesting as the first half is dedicated to various characters such as M. Hulot who has a business meeting but ends up getting lost in all the modern settings. Barbara is a tourist who has accompanied several American women to Paris and finds the city to be quite breathtaking. We see Monsieur Hulot getting lost in offices from buildings that look alike.

But then the second half of the film focuses on a nightclub known as The Royal Garden that is opening and yet not ready. We see how the builders and the restaurant staff prepare for their major night despite the nightclub not yet ready. Where the first half was quite visual, the second half focuses more intimately on the people of the nightclub and the film becomes more gag-driven but yet with so many people in the film, Tati did a wonderful job in making sure each character had some part in the film and contributed in some fun or hilarious way.

A visual film without dialogue may seem boring and monotonous but fortunately Jacques Tati included a good number of gags to make the whole 124 minutes a bit lively. I did feel the film went a little long and that scenes could have been cut but with Jacques Tati putting all his energy into this film, I understand how difficult it was for him to even cut any scene out. But I do feel that the film could have been much shorter but then again, I would have been curious to see Tati's original, longer cut.

If anything, I really enjoyed what Tati did to create such a beautiful film. Three years of his life and also the crew and talent who made this film a reality is very much appreciated as I was entertained visually and I just felt so much respect for Tati after the film was completed. I did find it a bit disheartening to learn how this film which cost over $15 million (which was incredible for 1967 and was the most expensive French film at the time) caused problems for Tati as he was left bankrupt and unfortunately damaged his career. As much as it was critically well-received, it was a failure in the box office but partly that was because Tati chose 70 mm instead of 35 mm and Stereophonic sound which many theaters were not equipped to play during that time.

The Criterion Collection really did a great job in presenting "Playtime" on Blu-ray. The film looked absolutely beautiful for a film that is over 40 years old and because this film and what takes place onscreen is so immense that each time you watch this film, you will see things that you just didn't catch the first time. You can't help be amazed of how Tati and crew were able to create a modernized city. Tati made sure to really utilize his large cast in this film and what you see maybe different from what others are seeing because there are many things going on in the background. So, definitely a film that I have no doubt will require multiple rewinds because too much is happening in one sitting.

Also, The Criterion Collection edition of "Playtime" on Blu-ray features many special features that Jacques Tati fans will enjoy.

I've heard that the film is a statement by Tati of how much society has changed along with the city he has loved. The modernization with the use of electronics in buildings and restaurants and just making sure he has enough gags to make the audience laugh. If only Tati can see how much has changed today, that would definitely be an entertaining script.

A film that showcases beauty in various ways. This is absolute a film that was the highlight of Jacques Tati's career and despite how this film may have done in the box office, anyone watching now and seeing what the director was able to accomplish with no discernible plot and very little dialogue is fantastic. And again, the visuals are just fantastic. I was really blown away with how beautiful and intricate of a film "Playtime" truly is.

"Playtime" is highly recommended!

Buy Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (1967) Now

This is a singular masterpiece in film making but totally unlike anything, even for it's day. By today's attention deficit disorder standards, this film is really really odd. But no doubt it is a masterpiece if the viewer is willing to put the effort in to catch all the nuances because this is a film of nothing but nuances. Tati himself is just one of many participants.

There is a plot of sorts dealing with a group of female American tourists and the one women who is the odd duck among them. She meets Tati and they spend the night together dancing at a night club and see in the dawn at a coffee shop. Various bits of business are constantly swirling around them and you could view this picture 10 times before seeing everything. There are many jokes but they are gentle visual puns. Don't expect belly laughs, just a wry but amazing view on modern life.

As is standard practice for Criterian these days the extras on disc two are spectacular. The documentaries on Tati's life and this film are brilliant and helped me understand his art and this film much better.

A gentle film with brilliant use of wide screen (this film would make no sense pan and scan) you need to fall into the picture to enjoy it. But there is an endless wealth of material to enjoy.

Read Best Reviews of Playtime (The Criterion Collection) (1967) Here

To say too much or to say too little? I see greatness here, and the more I learn about this film and Jacques Tati, the brilliant, wonderful Jacques Tati, the more I admire this great piece of film treasure. Tati is one of these pure joys that came out of nowhere in my life, and has now fueled me beyond belief. I am in love. This is a film fan's greatest wish to find unexpected little gems like this one and to have it consume them until it becomes an obsession, and then familiar, like an old comfy hat. This is a masterpiece, and it gives me faith in the human race when I see someone go all-out like this. This may have been folly but we are so very, very lucky to have this precious classic!! I grew up with Gilliam's folly, Brazil, and it is so nice to see another person putting themselves so far out over the edge for the sake of TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING IN THE GUISE OF COMEDY. This is a remarkable film and the commentaries on these discs, the Terry Jones intro, the making of features it's all tremendous, and I cannot recommend it enough. We have movie clowns today who waste their time farting and looking at booties and hating so indirectly -you see something like this, and it's like...we need more. That's all I can really say: we need more like these. This is visionary, and a gift for the ages. Remarkable, brave, timeless. This is what film is about.

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My review will be hated by many, but the Truth must out: I just saw this in the Criterion blu-ray on my ten (10) foot screen at home. It was magnificent. I am a comedy afficionado and this may be the greatest of them all, although definitely not the most laughs-out-loud. Anyway, the awful truth: if you don't see it in blu-ray on a large screen (at least 60", I imagine), I think you'll be missing a lot. Tati fills the frame with all kinds of mishegas in the background and on the far reaches of the image. Further, the simpler shots draw power from the large scale of the sets. Now please don't be ticked off....I'm doing you a solid!

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Terri (2011)

"There's good hearted kids and there's bad hearted kids. When I look at you I see a good heart." Terri (Wysocki) is a larger then average 15 year old. Feeling like an out cast and having to take care of his sick uncle he seems to give up. After repeated tardiness to school and his new wardrobe of pajamas only, the school's principal (Reilly) decides to take Terri under his wing. This is a new take on the outcast school kid movie. The actor playing Terri does a fantastic job with this and even Reilly is subdued and adds a lot to the character. While the movie is not anything original you really feel for this character and want things to go his way. Unlike most other outcast movies like "She's The One" or even "Naploean Dynamite" this one seems much more realistic and that makes it better then most of the movies in this type of genre. The humor in this is more subdued but still a pretty funny watch. Overall, not a bad movie with the type of humor that not everyone will get. Worth checking out though. I say B.

Would I watch again? No I don't think so.

*Also try Cyrus & Youth In Revolt

This is a contemplative film about an alienated teen with some new unlikely friends, including his school principal. There is a lot of sexual content that may make some uncomfortable and parents would not like to watch it with their kids, I imagine. Also, if you are looking for resolution and a lot of action, this is not the film for you.

Buy Terri (2011) Now

Pretty excellent melancholy comedy. Now here are the other sixteen words I need to write to make this comment public.

Read Best Reviews of Terri (2011) Here

Terri (Jacob Wysocki), is a boy. Normally Terri for males is spelled with a "Y" as opposed to the cutesy "I" for females. This is symbolic of his role as a "victim of circumstance" in this awkward coming of age story. Terri is 15, obese and pathetic. He cares for his uncle who has memory lapses and bad days. Terri goes to school wearing pajamas and has a nemesis (Justin Prentice as Dirty Zach) who picks on him as well as is semi-intimate with a blond girl (Olivia Crocicchia as Heather) in which Terri is interested.

John C. Reilly plays the semi-cool, slightly creepy, misfit school principal Mr. Fitzgerald who takes an interest in Terri's life as he is frequently late for homeroom. Terri quickly realizes that the principal only meets with misfits and is upset he is in that group. We see Terri and Heather's relationship bloom during a very bad music montage. The movie lumbers along slow and steady like Terri. At times I found myself waiting for something to happen that wasn't as boring as real life. Like most Indy movies it relishes in its uncomfortable scenes, substituting real human drama, which we get enough in our own life, for exploding heads on the screen. I admit it, I am shallow and enjoy exploding heads.

If you are a big fan of Indie films and John C. Reilly this is a 5 star must see movie. The characters were unique and realistic. The dialogue flowed but was not abundantly witty or clever. There is a scene where graffiti states "Fitzgerald is a zombie." John C. Reilly played an uncredited "bathroom zombie" in "Zombieland," perhaps an inside indie joke. The movie includes some real life views and philosophy expressed through the understanding John C. Reilly. Good Indie.

F bomb, sex talk, near sex. No nudity.

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Being totally unfamiliar with director Azazel Jacobs's work, I sat down to watch Terri unsure of what I was in for. One hundred or so minutes later, I was pleasantly surprised by an intimate movie that reminds us that the small things are what makes life worth living. Centered around the travails of friendless, overweight teen Terri as he navigates high school, the world of the movie is lovingly crafted with interesting characters, all broken in their own ways. In tiny bursts of joy, these characters escape the pain and frustration of their lives and find enough momentum to keep moving forward. Jacob Wysocki gives a perfectly naturalistic performance as Terri, John C. Reilly is a combination of genuine and hilarious as an assistant principal, and Creed Bratton's portrayal of Terri's turning-toward-dementia uncle is surprisingly impressive. When he experiences a brief moment of clarity, it turns into the movie's best scene. Terri manages to surpass the clichés of the indie high school movie, and should be experienced by anyone who has ever managed to find joy in the little things.

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Meet the Parents (Blu-ray + DVD) (2000)

I wasn't really sure what to expect with Robert De Niro in a more comedic role and the so-so reviews of Meet the Parents. Well, let me be the first to tell you that all theses reviews were wrong and De Niro shined in his role as the father. The toilet humor of There's Something About Mary is still present in Meet the Parents--I won't give any of it away since the shock factor is what makes these scenes so hilarious. Ben Stiller is wonderful as Gregory, the misguided yet well-intentioned boyfriend of Jack's daughter. This movie had so many well placed comic moments that I never really stopped laughing. Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller make such a great pair because of the fact that they are such polar opposites. De Niro's paranoia feeds Stiller's own paranoia and makes for a lot of awkward but humorous confrontations. Their misunderstandings range from the hidden meaning of "Puff the Magic Dragon" to premarital relations. Mixed in somewhere within the gags and the shock humor is a nice romance story that is somewhat generic but never overshadows Stiller and De Niro's relationship. Meet the Parents is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time and I implore you to see it.

This review refers to the VHS edition(Universal) of "Meet the Parents"......

You may not think your in-laws are really so bad after seeing what poor Greg Focker has to go through with his future family. Yes you read right, his name is Greg Focker and he's about to spend the weekend with the parents of the girl he intends to marry. Pam's dad, Jack Byrnes, really loves his daughters, and any man who wants to share their lives better be up to his standards. He's an ex-CIA agent who will scrutinize your every move and you better like his cat as well.What will it take for Greg to win the hand of the girl he loves..and does he really want to be a part of this crazy family after all? It's laugh out loud stuff as every move he makes turns into a hysterical series of events that has Pam's family turning against him.

Who else could be the over protective,over bearing,over analyzing, prospective father-in-law than than Mr. Tough Guy himeslef..Robert De Niro. His straight faced comic timing is just one more side of this very talented actor. Ben Stiller is a laugh a minute as he tries to please this unpleasable Dad.

The rest of the cast is nicely rounded out by Blythe Danner,Teri Polo,James Rebhorn and the fabulous Owen Wilson. Director Jay Roach brings this terrifc ensemble together beautifully and the music by Randy Newman adds more fun to the story.It's one of those great comedies that is still funny with repeated viewings.

The VHS is in Stereo surround, sounds great,has closed captions, and has a nice picture as well.

So kick back,enjoy the film, but..be careful not to let the cat out!.....have fun with this great addition to you comedy or De Niro collection.....Laurie

Buy Meet the Parents (Blu-ray + DVD) (2000) Now

In a year filled with less-than-par movies (especially those in the comedic genre) this was a breath of fresh air. I haven't heard a theatre audience laugh harder since 1995 when I watched "Dumb & Dumber". This is a similar comedy with a little more sense and a little less slapstick.

Greg Focker is a nurse who, before asking his girlfriend to marry him, must visit her parents and o.k. it with them. Things seem to be going well enough when he picks up the wrong bag at the airport, causing the oncoming hell that is 'Meeting the parents'.

Robert DeNiro stars as the father, an ex CIA agent who keeps a very close eye on Focker, and doesn't like what he sees. He mistakes him for a pot smoking, test-cheating, porno-watching liar who isn't fit for his daughter. At the comedic climax of the film, DeNiro even gives Focker a polygraph test.

In the end, sides aching, this film left me more satisfied than I'd been walking out of a theatre in a LONG time. Although comedies typically don't get oscar nods, this one is certainly deserving.

Lets pray for a "Meet The Parents, The Sequel" to save us from future movie boredom.

Read Best Reviews of Meet the Parents (Blu-ray + DVD) (2000) Here

You don't need a lot of words to describe a movie this funny. I really didn't stop laughing from the very first minute of the movie. I admit that I have been disappointed by Stiller movies in the past, like "There's Something About Mary" and "Mystery Men". I didn't hate them, but I didn't really want to watch them over again after seeing them.

Ben and Deniro are both brillant together in this movie. They are both from completely different planets as far as comedic prowess and that makes them work great against each others characters. The play on Focker's name is just so hilarious. It's a great movie, I could watch it over and over again.

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My husband & I actually went to see this movie the week before he was going to ask my father for my hand in marriage thank God he already knew my family, or I think this movie may have scared him off!!!

I have to say that we laughed SO hard during this movie that our cheeks hurt! And, everyone else in the theater was laughing hysterically too. In fact, when it was over, everyone in the theater stood up and clapped I've only seen a standing ovation in a movie theater twice in my life!

"Meet the Parents" is a romantic comedy about about an awkward guy who is ready to ask his girlfriend to marry him. However, just as he's ready to pop the question, he finds out that her sister's boyfriend had just asked her father for her hand in marriage (and his girlfriend makes it clear that she thinks that this is the way it should be)so now, he not only has to meet her parents, he has to look good enough in their eyes so that they'll say yes to his proposal.

Well, he winds up becoming even more awkward telling lies just to look better than he his, and always in such a way that ANYONE could tell he's not on the up & up. To boot, her father is a CIA agent, so of course he can see right through his shinanagins (did I spell that right???). This is hysterical in & of itself, but then the physical comedy comes to play (think Jack Tripper of "Threes Company")... Put together, this movie just couldn't be funnier!!!

If you're looking for a great romantic comedy, & want to laugh until your cheeks hurt, then I HIGHLY recommend this movie!

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