Showing posts with label australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label australia. Show all posts

7/23/2012

Surfing Hollow Days (1961) Review

Surfing Hollow Days (1961)
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While not as fun as Surf Crazy or either of the Endless Summers, Surfing Hollow Days is still entertaining to those surfing enthusiasts who love Bruce Brown flicks. Surfing Hollow Days takes the viewer on an around-the-world surfing adventure with some of surfing's most legendary riders when they were young men, including August and Yater themselves. The background music isn't much to brag about, and Brown's commentary (usually sharp witted and colorful) seems to fall a little flatter than usual. From California to Australia, during the birth of the foam boards, but still before the oh-so-important leash, we follow several groups of young men surfing their hearts out; including a 12 year old boy surfing Waimea Bay, and the Pipeline's virgin run by the courageous Phil Edwards. And when they can't find a wave it seems as if surfing behind a boat will do. Brown still throws in several gimmicks for comic relief, but for some reason, Surfing Hollow Days just doesn't have the mass appeal as his other works. But, if you love to watch vintage surfing footage, and love anything Bruce Brown, Surfing Hollow Days is still fun to watch - but only recommended for the most die-hard of fans.

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2/21/2012

Starstruck (2-Disc Special Edition) (1982) Review

Starstruck (2-Disc Special Edition) (1982)
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This movie is like all those old movies where the performing kids save the day (you remember...."we've got the barn...gran can make the costumes...we'll put on a show!!"). I LOVE this movie! I scrounged around until I found a copy of it back in the 80's (which wasn't easy to do). The movie is humorous, but the music is great! I especially love "I Want to Live in House" done by Angus and the Wombats, not to mention the song from crashing the Sydney Opera House "Monkey in Me". If you like irreverent humor and 80s semi-punk music as well, this movie is for you. The soundtrack for this movie (although hard to find) is also well worth the price if you can find it as well.
Update 12/31/05: I am thrilled this movie has been re-released with a two disc special edition. It is still a favorite even after all these years. Now, I can stop wearing out the VHS tape I have. However, like other reviewers, I want to know...where is the CD soundtrack?! My album is just about worn out. Bring on the CD!!
09/30/06: STILL waiting for the soundtrack to be released on CD. Who do we have to petition/cajole/threaten to get the soundtrack released on CD?
:-)
04/26/08: Seriously... is there any chance that I will be able to purchase this soundtrack on CD or as an MP3 before I'm eligible for Social Security? (still waiting......) :-)
07/08/09 tap-tap....is this thing on? ...haven't gone away. There simply MUST be a soundtrack released.
12/21/10: Just checking in on my more or less annual rant. What do we want? Starstruck soundtrack on CD or MP3! When do we want it? NOW!

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From the Director of MY BRILLIANT CAREER - A Totally New Kind of Musical!Three years after she rocked the movie industry with MY BRILLIANT CAREER, director Gillian Armstrong again brought the world to its feet with this unexpected musical comedy smash. Jo Kennedy stars as quirky young singer Jackie Mullens, who along with her 14-year-old manager/songwriter/ cousin Angus (Ross O'Donovan) will go to any outrageous lengths to chase their dreams of pop stardom. Oscar® winner Geoffrey Rush (SHINE, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN) makes one of his very first screen appearances in this acclaimed combination of delightful old-school story and explosive new wave musical that was nominated for three Australian Academy Awards – including Best Original Music Score – and features songs by Tim Finn and Phil Judd of legendary pop-rock band Split Enz.

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2/16/2012

The Wiggles - Hoop-Dee-Doo It's a Wiggly Party (2002) Review

The Wiggles - Hoop-Dee-Doo It's a Wiggly Party (2002)
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My 21 month old loves the Wiggles!!! Out of the 4 Wiggles DVD's we have, the songs on Hoop-Dee-Doo aren't as catchy as the songs in Yummy Yummy. Yummy Yummy is a better DVD for the little little one's- less skits, more singing & dancing. As my son got older, (he's 21 months now) he favored Hoop-Dee-Doo. Hoop-dee-doo has much better effects and is more modern. More children are involved in this video and after the second or third time watching, you'll find yourself singing along. While Yummy Yummy used to be his favorite from 15-20 months old, Hoop-Dee-Doo is now his favorite. I'd recommend both titles. He couldn't sit still through the Wiggles Magical Adventure Movie... I'd recommend that one for older viewers. Dance Party is cute but definately outdated. After he got used to watching the other titles, he got very bored w/ Dance Party.

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1/24/2012

Bad Boy Bubby (2005) Review

Bad Boy Bubby (2005)
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In the film Bad Boy Bubby, the title character is a thirty-five year old man child who has been locked inside a cramped, dingy room by his abusive mother for his entire life. When Bubby's Pop suddenly shows up after a thirty-five year absence, Bubby is flushed out of his home, and the only world he has ever known, by his Mom and Pop, and into the "real" world, where he experiences equal measures of human cruelty and human kindness.
The film is at times bleak, harrowing, funny, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful. All of the actors do a very fine job, but Nicholas Hope's performance as Bubby is absolutely stunning. There's a long tradition of actors delving into roles of this type, Sling Blade, Awakenings or Rain Man for example, and while Hope's performance isn't as widely regarded as the lead performances in these three films, it surely would be if the film Bad Boy Bubby had received a wider release - especially in the United States, where until now it has been practically nonexistent. Now however, thanks to Blue Underground and this great DVD release a much wider audience will hopefully be able to see this exceptional film for the first time.
Once again Blue Underground has done a really topnotch job. The film transfer looks great and there are two sound options: a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and a Dolby Surround 2.0. Of special note, the sound for the film was recorded using a binaural sound system that is meant to allow the viewer the experience of hearing everything the same way the main character would. The extras on the disc are a 24 minute interview with director Rolf de Heer, who describes the interesting binaural recording process and reveals a lot of fascinating insights and details, including the fact that over 30 different cinematographers were used to shoot the film. There is a second 15 minute interview with Nicholas Hope who discusses his career before, during, and after Bad Boy Bubby. The short film that led to Nicholas Hope being cast in the role of Bubby, titled Confessor Caressor, is also included. And finally, there is also a theatrical trailer for Bad Boy Bubby and a poster/stills gallery. In all a great disc befitting a remarkable film.

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Winner of Four Australian Academy Awards, Including Best Actor - Nicholas Hope, Best Director - Rolf De Heer, and Best Original Screenplay.L.A. Weekly called it "disturbing and compelling", and it was awarded The Grand Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Despite a limited release in America, it would shock and delight audiences to become one of the most daring and controversial cult films of the past decade. Nicholas Hope in what Variety hails as "an astonishing performance" - stars as Bubby, a demented man-child kept locked his entire life in a squalid apartment by his depraved mother. But when Bubby - who can only communicate by mimicking what others say and do - escapes into the outside, he soon discovers the wonders of sex, crime, rock & roll and pizza. Will this 'mad bastard' be destroyed by the realities of our cruel world, or does a higher calling ultimately await him in the most unlikely place of all?Extras: Christ Kid, You're A Weirdo - Interview with Director Rolf De Heer Being Bubby - Interview with Star Nicholas Hope Confessor Caressor - Short Film Starring Nicholas Hope (20 mins) Theatrical Trailer Poster & Still Gallery

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12/19/2011

The Big Country (1958) Review

The Big Country  (1958)
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What we have here is a blood feud over water rights between two ranching families headed by Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford) and Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives), with school teacher Julie Maragon (Jean Simmons) caught in the middle. Directed by William Wyler with stunning cinematography by Franz Planer, we follow a narrative which involves the engagement of Easterner James McKay (Gregory Peck) to Terrill's beloved daughter Pat (Carroll Baker). Frankly, what he sees in her continues to elude my understanding. Some reviewers have dismissed this as a "B" movie but I do not. The quality of the acting (notably Ives's which earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor) is outstanding. Although in what I guess could be considered a minor role as Steve Leech, Terrill's ramrod, Charlton Heston delivers a remarkably nuanced and controlled performance as does Chuck Connors as Buck Hannassey. This is much less a western than a study of two patriarchs (Terrill and Hannassey) who play a zero sum game to gain control of access to water on which they and their herds obviously depend. But there is something else at work in this great but (for whatever reasons) under appreciated film. Julie Maragon is quite willing to allow both patriarchs access to the water. That is not the core issue: rather, it is the conflict between the inflated egos of two proud and stubborn men who detest each other.
For me, one of the most memorable scenes occurs when, just before dawn, McKay and Leech finally have it out. It is an awkward but inevitable and immensely effective fist fight, with much of it filmed as if we were observing it at a distance. Of course, the fist fight achieves nothing other than demonstrating that McKay is more of a "man" than Leech once thought. Before they begin throwing punches, McKay insists that no one know about their fight. Leech totally misunderstands McKay's reasons. Another memorable sequence of events focuses on Terrill and Hannassey as they slowly and carefully work their way through a canyon to their final confrontation. To repeat, theirs is a zero sum game except that neither wins. In these and other scenes, Planer's cinematography and Jerome Moross' music score blend effectively with the cast's superb performances under Wyler's direction.
Why has The Big Country been under appreciated, if not totally ignored among western films? I have no idea. I really don't.

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10/31/2011

The Silver Stallion Review

The Silver Stallion
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I read the book many years ago in 6th grade and it is still one of my all-time favorites. Unfortunately, it is out of print and very hard to find, even in Australia. This movie follows the main story line of the book, but from a more human viewpoint. It chronicles the writing of the book with scenes of the author, Elyne Mitchell, and her daughter interspersed with the scenes of the story and the horses it chronicles. I would have preferred to have more of the horse story and less of the human one (hence the 4 star rating.) If you liked "The Man from Snowy River", also based on the book by Elyne Mitchell, or just like to watch gorgeous horses running through beautiful scenery, you'll love this one.

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SILVER STALLION - DVD Movie

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6/30/2011

1970s Adult Movie Trailers Vol. 1 (1970) Review

1970s Adult Movie Trailers Vol. 1 (1970)
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Obviously you have to be into porn movies to appricate this dvd.I've seen trailers for porn films before,but this compilation of very early 70's porn movies was so raw that you knew, these films were at the start of the golden era of porn.I remember going to the movies in the 70's,and before the main feature you would have a trailer for forth comming attractions to the theatre,and it would be crackling and maybe an odd jump,and alot of these trailers are the same,but dont let that put you off,this only adds to the nostalgia of the time.Very good dvd,worth having.Enjoy.

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6/28/2011

The Wiggles - Wiggly Safari Review

The Wiggles - Wiggly Safari
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I think this video sums up what the Wiggles are all about - singing fun songs for kids and having fun while they are doing it. This video features Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter as well as your Wiggle Favourites - Geoff, Murray, Anthony, Jeff, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog and Dorothy the Dinosaur.
The Crocodile Hunter is a scream! If you have ever seen him you know that his enthusiasm for life and animals is infectious. A wonderful choice for the Wiggles to make a video with.
Every song is about Australia wildlife and not only do you get to sing about it, you learn a little about the animal from the Crocodile Hunter and the Wiggles and you also get to see the animal in a very natural setting at Steve and Terri's Irwin's zoo (Australia Zoo, located on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia).
I cannot recommend this video high enough, especially if your toddler is already a fan. They'll learn alot about Australian animals and have fun doing the dance moves to each songs. I have two girls - almost 3 and 18 months and they love this video! They are huge Wiggles fans.
You will not be disappointed.

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