Reviews

Mapi Galan is drop-dead gorgeous. In spite of the stereotypes, less than stellar acting and incredibly bad special effects makeup, I rather enjoyed watching this film.

If you like silly, spoofy films, this is a great one to watch. Jerry Lewis and Connie Stevens work so well together and, as a big fan of both of them, I am always thrilled when I get the chance to watch this film. They are both so lovable! I especially love the scene where they finally agree to go to the moon together. Dick Shawn gets to provide us another frenetically, wacky character and Anita Ekberg is just a total sexpot. The rest of the supporting cast each add to the fun in their own signature ways. I think that is the best part of this movie; each actor gets to provide us with a great view of what we expect from their comedic side.

I love watching this film because of the love-hate relationship I develop with each of the lead characters. I'm a sucker for true love but I loathe infidelity. My moral compass tells me I should be aligned with wife Maida, but my heart belongs to adultress Julie. Were I in husband Alec's position, I would be compelled towards loyalty and fidelity, but feeling unloved, could I be strong enough not to follow the path my heart wants me to take? Why should Alec not follow his heart? Life is short.

The only criticism I really have for this film has to do with Cary Grant. When husband Alec reads, or pretends to read, the newspaper, Cary has this odd, tunnel-vision stare. I don't understand its purpose, if there is one.

Seriously, all I got from this storyline was that Ted Bundy was a monster. I already knew that because I've seen a couple of other films that tell Bundy's tale in an interesting manner. This one does not. However, the sound editing, along with the musical contributions from Andres Boulton, Diane Hall and Johnny Childe, are intriguing enough to make me want to seek out this film on DVD. Diane Hall's rendition of "Renegade Girl" (a la D. Hall & Friends) yanked me out of disinterest and led me in a direction I wasn't really prepared for. From that point on, I paid more attention to the music and background audio than I remember ever doing during a first viewing of any film. Now, I want to hear it again.

If you are a fan of spoof films and soft core porn, then this film belongs on your Must-See list. Need I mention that any fan of Misty Mundae will also be pleased to watch this film that has enough of a plot to be entertaining and enough of Misty to be titillating (pun intended). Although this film was not intended to be a blockbuster, I do think it would have benefited with more directorial experience, but at least this guy is aware of Misty's acting style, which I find refreshing in its lack of ham.....sometimes you just want to leer at some body. Spiderman has always been my favorite superhero, but I am not a fan of Sony's recent efforts. In fact, my dissatisfaction with the sequel is what led me to seek out Spiderbabe. I am glad I did, and I have now placed this film on my wish list of DVD's (ok, it's not at the top of the list, but also nowhere near the bottom), and you can bet that I am holding out for the Unrated 2-disc set....I can't wait to see the bloopers and outtakes.

Admittedly, I am a fan of many reality TV shows, but sometimes I find myself wondering if they are increasingly becoming nothing more than a source of income for the participants. I suspect that it is true, but I still can't tear myself away from shows like Strange Love. Whether or not Brigitte and Mr F are truly in love, I like them and I like watching them, and loving them, and hating them, and cheering them on, and yelling at them, and ragging on them, and, well, who knows HOW they are going to make me feel next week! In spite of the excitement they may experience and the money they may have, their lives are just as crappy as mine, and I am glad to see it. I love getting to know the reality celebs on these shows, as I have Brigitte and Mr F after following them from their stint on Surreal Life (another of my fave shows along with Survivor, Amazing Race, Apprentice, Next Top Model, Contender, Bachelor,........OK, I'm not just a fan, I'm totally hooked!)

While clearly intended to popularize the US Army and the Draft program during a time of impending world war, this film offers the classic Abbott & Costello humor but more importantly to me, several absolutely fabulous tunes performed by the Andrews sisters. The songs alone make this a MUST HAVE for your DVD collection. I also love the tank scenes during the war games maneuvers; a bit of exciting real army action in the middle of a musical funfest helps turn a so-so script into a so-so fun to watch film. While Buck Privates is not the best war film to come out of Hollywood, nor the best boot camp comedy, nor the best musical by far, it is still one of my favorite films to watch on a lazy afternoon. It's just FUN!!!, and I would have gladly stood in line and paid to watch it at the theater as the many, many thousands did in 1941 when Universal found what a surprise hit they had just released.

..what....an....incredible..actress!! It seems to me that every interview and every talkshow appearance this lady makes just furthers my distaste for her true-life persona. But when I see Nicole Kidman acting on screen, I am enthralled! I cannot take my eyes off her! Whatever "it" is, she has it! It grabs me! It holds me! I cannot turn away! Not even when I'm watching crud like Moulin Rouge! Oh, I guess the movie is ok, I just don't like the scenery, the scenario, the plot, or something. I watch it though. I can't help myself.

..I'll watch it again, and again, and again. Jayne Mansfield is da bomb of the blonde bombshells. There are plenty of gorgeous actresses, but this film expresses all of what makes this woman what she is. She is obviously an intelligent and talented woman, but she also totally exudes sensuality. I am never more jealous of anyone than I am at two points during this movie; first, of Joan Blondell, as she massages those tender feet and those oh-so-shapely calves while Jayne's Rita Marlowe lies and squirms and rolls on the massage table teasing her boyfriend over the phone. The next time comes later on when Groucho Marx, looking, acting and sounding just like Groucho Marx, gets to lay a big, fat kiss on Jayne's big, juicy lips, and it lasts, and lasts, while Jayne's fingers caress Groucho's neck like I wish some sensual babe would for me. Whoops! Time to hit the rewind button again.

There are those that find this film lacking in literary quality, but they are missing the point behind this Forester/Agee/Huston compilation. On the one hand, the characters seem weak, but for those of us who understand, we see them as true compassionate beings. It is easy to feign the superficiality of those without heart. Real strength lies within the caring nature, the love of life as our Creator intended, the willingness to give, no matter the price! The characters portrayed by Hepburn and Bogart were born with these qualities, but hadn't fully grown into them until thrown together by circumstances. Rose and Charlie would certainly have plenty of reason for disagreement and family strife in their future, but their love for each other, and their marriage, would certainly survive for these characters truly do have heart.

Although I am not necessarily a fan of such cookie-cutter fare (same studio, same director, same stars, same premise, different setting, but once profit is made, keep em cooking until it burns you), I find this film enjoyable on several levels. Sure, there's Janet Gaynor at the peak of her adorability, and El Brendel, the first master of comedic talent in the talkies, but tossed into director David Butler's mixing bowl are this tale's little forays into the multitude of human emotion, all very well expressed, and captured, on screen. Oh, to see this one on the big screen! Perhaps I will get the chance one day, if you will help me scream loud enough, and buy enough tickets, to get these old gems circulating widely through the "retro" theater circuit.