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Reviews
Hollywood Goes Ape! (1994)
Worthwhile documentary
Seldom have I seen a more entertaining and satisfyingly comprehensive documentary. Bob Burns shares his working knowledge of ape suit construction and "how to be one". Plus, there are good interviews with author and historian George Turner, archivist and author Forrest J Ackerman, and special effects artist and film producer Ray Harryhausen. You will be amazed at how little you really knew about Tarzan films until you saw this video.
Whoopee! (1930)
The only pre-Hayes Code movie I can't stand!
Despite my fondness for the pre-Hayes Code era of film (when American moviemakers were truly free), I find that this one went too far in its racial slurs. Would I have been offended if I was alive then and watching the film at a theater? Perhaps. If I had the same attitudes I have now, I would have been offended. In this one, Eddie Cantor, a Jewish entertainer, makes horrible, derogatory statements about Jews, Indians and blacks. The rest of the cast follows suit. It may have been more the scriptwriters' fault than Cantor's, but, let's face it, he did not have to agree to be in this weak musical. I saw the movie on TV 10 years ago and never want to see it again. The racism still resonates in my mind. Even Busby Berkeley's choreography can't save it. If you must see it, see it to be reminded of how America used to be and could be again if we allow it.
Cesta do pravyeku (1955)
Really evokes a feeling of being in the ancient world
*CONTAINS SPOILER* I wish I could have seen this Czech fantasy film when I was a kid, because I know I would have loved it. A group of boys under the age of 16 find themselves on an unexpected journey by rowboat down a river of time that takes them deeper and deeper into "deep time" the more they row upstream. The boys are portrayed in a refreshing way and not as either a bunch of precocious smart-asses or total dweebs. In fact, they all seem to have been in the Czech equivalent of the Boy Scouts, because they handle their situation well. The viewer really gets a feel for what it would be like to be the only human beings around during the Tertiary period, the Carboniferous, etc. The environments are as difficult to traverse as any real-life wild place would be. In addition they are neither paradise nor horrifying. We have learned a lot since the 50s about the ancient Earth and know now that the boys would not be able to breathe the early Precambrian air. That's a minor problem.
Cats & Dogs (2001)
Don't waste your time on this twisted and pointless drek
***SLIGHT SPOILERS*** I saw this turkey when a host was showing it at a party.
It was an insult to any child with an I.Q. over 60 and an outrage to any child, teenager or adult who loves animals. Violence against what looks from a distance like living animals is repeated ad nauseum within the framework of a pointless, boring plot about how good (in the hackneyed Hollywood sense) dogs are and how evil cats are. In the climax at the flocking manufacturing plant, I was worried about Mr. Tinkles and assuming he had died. His ultimate fate at the hands of the disgusting middle aged ladies who dressed him up was, admittedly better than having him die, but still was unfunny. The scene where the beagle hero appears to be dead but is actually alive has been done to death in countless modern-day films of the 80s and 90s whose scriptwriters are not imaginative or experienced enough to come up with a truly heartwarming sequence. Rating: 1/2 star out of 4 stars. If you want a good modern animal movie for all ages, try THE BEAR.