Reviews
Pleasantville (1998)
Good film, could have been great
What keeps "Pleasantville" from being a great movie is the heavy-handedness of the last segment of the film, particularly the trial scene and its aftermath. The film's moral, that we should accept the world in its diverse and flawed beauty rather than seek security in conformity, should have been obvious by that point to any viewer who was paying attention. Despite this flawed ending, there is a lot to like in the film. First off, the cinematography is beautiful- the blending of color and black-and -white is simply astounding. There are some fine performances here, notably William H. Macey as the sit-com father who must face his fear of change. There are many fine moments in the script, and much of the early part of the film is quite funny. Overall, I would recommend the film, with the caveat that the last 15 minutes or so can't maintain the quality of the rest of the film.
Love Feast (1969)
possibly the least erotic pornographic film
"The Love Feast" serves as proof that the presence of Ed Wood in any film project was a guarantee of failure. Even in the relatively undemanding genre of soft-core pornography, where such Wood trademarks as bizarre dialogue, improbable plotting, and awful acting are par for the course, this is a certifiable stinker. Despite the film's theme, and the near-constant full-frontal nudity, there is nothing erotic, or even remotely arousing, in this film. And that's not just my opinion- I watched this film with a group of five people, representing both of the major genders and various sexual orientations, and we all agreed that it was a strong contender for the least arousing pornographic film in existence. There's not much more to say about this film, except that after it was over I felt sorry for Ed Wood. Even someone as talentless as he was shouldn't have to work on such a miserable project.