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Reviews
Myra Breckinridge (1970)
Never Send A Boy In To Do A Drag Queen's Job
This movie isn't that bad provided you've read the book, don't expect much, make no attempt to follow the plot, and have a bizarre sense of humor. A deeply clueless Michael Sarne butchers Gore Vidal's satire on Hollywood kitsch and the Swinging Sixties, not only missing the point but often seeming threatened by the material. Raquel Welch as Myra, a stunning amazon out to conquer the world and/or Hollywood, whichever comes first, is glorious, and Rex Reed's usual schtick works splendidly as Myron, Myra's former self turned invisible friend. Mae West, bless her heart, seems to have wandered in from another movie, possibly even another dimension; most memorable moment is when she sings 'Hard To Handle' while feeling herself as if she's searching for her wallet or learning the Macarena. The DVD features commentary by Raquel on one side and Sarne on the other; Raquel's is much more fun.
Maya (1966)
Hasn't Aged Well
While I'm sure this was an okay film way back when, nowadays it comes across as stilted, talky, and frankly, inadvertently racist. Jay North isn't a bad actor, but the character he's playing is quite unconvincing and the entire thing comes across as Kipling Meets Spin And Marty. Most bizarre moment comes when blond, blue-eyed Jay disguises himself as a black native by donning native garb, putting on a turban, and smearing mud on his face. It works; none of the other natives suspect a thing. The young man who plays Jay's friend --Can't remember his name right now-- became a kind of teen idol for a time. Unfortunately, he never really did much else and eventually disappeared.
Now and Then (1995)
Why Do I Like This Movie?
I mean, Demi Moore's narration is so overwritten I kept expecting her to tell Frankie they left her twitching in the alley like a spastic, the plot's a hodgepodge of stuff we've seen before, and the scenes with the girls as adults don't work at all. However, the four young stars do a spectacular job and the film, while occasionally gooney, is sincere. Not only is it one of the few 'women's films' actually made by women, but it's one of the very few films for (older) kids that respects them and takes them seriously as people.