Gone Doggy Gone is an ambitious, low-budget comedy with something for everyone. In spite of its juvenile-sounding name, however, it's not a family film. The dog-napped canine star of the film is adorable, and each of the main characters are distinctly engaging, especially Shaina Vorspan as a troubled dog sitter, Kasi Brown (who is also the film's co-director) as a doting pet owner and Kate Connor as Brown's wacky, pot-smoking best friend. Jeff Sloniker as a bumbling, slovenly private investigator hired to find the missing dog is also a standout. The film is actually like a zany road picture with everyone in hot pursuit getting nowhere fast. Though the film lags a bit in the middle, there's a freshness to it and enough laughs to make it worthwhile. For its budget, production values are also quite good.
Reviews
12 Reviews
Fort McCoy
(2011)
A Heartwarming Story
30 June 2015
Fort McCoy is one of those smaller films that pretty much slipped through the cracks of audience exposure but was deserving of more attention. Stars Eric Stoltz and Kate Connor give very decent performances along with the entire cast. And because the film is based on a true story related to Connor, its significance is amplified. It's probably a safe bet that few people know much about WWII POW camps that operated in the U.S., and that in itself is enlightening. It's also beautifully filmed and well produced for its relatively modest budget. Even the score is well done. Connor proves to be a very competent actress we should hope to see more of. It's also nice to see Cameron Manheim in a modest role.
The Theory of Everything
(2014)
A Tale of Inspiration and Triumph
11 December 2014
Actor Eddie Redmayne portrays renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking in this biopic showing his transition from physically normal to a state of devastating debilitation. Redmayne's performance is nothing less than Oscar-worthy, and he is well supported by the entire cast, especially Felicity Jones as his dedicated, but ultimately troubled wife. Some may feel the film is too sentimental or cloying, even though sentimentality has its place in films and our lives; but the bottom line in The Theory of Everything is that it's so incredibly inspirational. And who would argue the point that all of us have odds to overcome (odds likely to be much less severe than Hawking faced), and to face those odds, we need inspiration.
Unbroken
(I) (2014)
An Ordeal of Human Endurance
11 December 2014
Director Angelina Jolie's homage to the plight of imprisoned World War II servicemen in Japan focuses on the true-life experience of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete from California. Though we've seen countless, horrific cinematic depictions over the years of how prisoners of war are terribly abused, Unbroken still has a lot going for it. Strong performances all around, added to a compelling story and flawless technical achievement in the art of filmmaking make Unbroken deeply disturbing yet ultimately uplifting and inspirational. One of the things this film rightfully drives home is that "war is hell." It's an old expression, but it continues to ring true to this day. And perhaps, as this film reminds us, we should never forget that the price of war is always devastation and depravity before victory.
A Saga of the Complicated Comeback
17 November 2014
Everybody seems to like the drama of a comeback. After all, there's something inspiring about anyone who rises from a great fall. And so it goes that Birdman features Michael Keaton portraying an actor who puts everything on the line to restart his career by staging Raymond Carver's "What We Talk about when We Talk about Love," not the most easy-going material to act out or convey to an audience. Along the way, there is much support from Naomi Watts as an actress making her Broadway debut, Edward Norton as a smart-ass, temperamental, hot-item actor and Emma Stone, who plays Keaton's daughter, apparently neglected from growing up with a show business father. It's all very emotionally complicated and sometimes overbearing due to all of the characters' constant bickering, petulance, regret and hand-wringing. Also, amidst all of these real-life dramas, Director Alejandro G. Inarritu injects a kind of supernatural, whimsical element that may be more distracting than constructive. So, is the film worth seeing? Definitely. Might it be a bit overrated and less perfect than expected? In my opinion...yes.
Interstellar
(2014)
A Loud, Confusing Visual Extravaganza
17 November 2014
In spite of some technical issues that many would consider drawbacks, Interstellar still fascinates, mystifies and is certainly worth seeing. Performances are very good, all the way around, including a couple of unexpected cameos. Actually, it's pretty hard to sum up just what Interstellar really is. It's a little bit 2001: A Space Odyssey, a little bit Gravity and more. It's both down-to-earth and fantastical. One thing it isn't is easy to follow, especially since Director Christopher Nolan has admitted to purposely using music and sound effects to obscure dialogue. In fact, the volume level of the film is at times almost ear splitting. I witnessed several people occasionally covering their ears in the theater where I saw the film. The best advice is to just go with flow and get what you can out of your viewing experience. Chances are, you won't regret it.
Images
(1972)
Fascinating and Disturbing, Images Keeps You Guessing
16 October 2014
Robert Altman's engrossing drama Images stands alone in his vast collection of directorial achievements. Though he directed other intense dramas, this opus of unsettling psychological intrigue is about as far as one can get from his more familiar fare of offbeat comedies populated by equally offbeat characters. In a landmark performance that garnered her a best actress award at Cannes, Susannah York portrays Catherine, a troubled soul who desperately tries to escape her innate demons and memories of past relationships. Increasingly, reality and fantasy start to blur as Catherine develops a coping mechanism she thinks will solve her mental dilemmas. Unfortunately, there's an inherent danger in her method's madness. Images was beautifully filmed in Ireland by master cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, and veteran composer John Williams provided the score. Altman protégé Rene Auberjonois effectively portrays Catherine's somewhat clueless but good-natured husband.
Last Summer
(1969)
A Groundbreaking, Poignant Film for Its Time
16 October 2014
Last Summer is a shockingly bold film for its time period (late 1960s) and very well acted, featuring actors who went on to virtual stardom at a time when they were just starting out: Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison. Portraying restless teenagers at Fire Island for the summer, they meet and begin hanging out together, eventually encountering Rhoda (Catherine Burns), a teenager who doesn't quite fit their mold but wants to make friends. And this is where the story really gets moving. As the plot advances, it seems the behavior of the original three becomes increasingly edgy and even cruel. Meanwhile, Rhoda, with her sincerity and vulnerability, senses she is out of place but desperately hangs in to be part of the group, even though she sets herself up for embarrassment, conflict and possibly even danger. Unfortunately, copies of Last Summer are pretty much impossible to find and it is almost never shown on television. I saw it when it was originally released, but the only time I saw it on cable TV was in 2013; to my great disappointment, the print wasn't in letterbox and had been edited for content, reducing both the film's impact and significance.
The Music Lovers
(1971)
The Music Lovers Makes an Indelible Impact
9 October 2014
The films of director Ken Russell certainly aren't known for restraint, and The Music Lovers is no exception. In fact, every ounce of punch it delivers survives to this day. I recently showed this film, and someone present who was only a child when it came out couldn't believe it was released in 1970. In any case, the tortured life of Tchaikovsky (mostly because of his gay closet-case existence), as intensely portrayed by Richard Chamberlain, creates a compelling story that may not be as historically accurate as it could have been. Even so, it's high on entertainment value, and you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen due to the lavish production values, a grand score by the London Symphony Orchestra and one of Glenda Jackson's many astounding performances. This time around, she's Tchaikovsky's neglected wife. In some ways, she ends up stealing the show as her life completely and shockingly unravels. If anything, regardless of how one reacts to the indelible scenes in the The Music Lovers, the one thing it isn't, is forgettable.
The Legend of Hell House
(1973)
A Most Satisfying Bump in the Night
9 October 2014
The Legend of Hell House was released the same year as the grand-daddy of horror films, The Exorcist, so it quietly slipped through the cracks. But it should not be overlooked as a most effective and entertaining movie that combines suspense, bumps in the night and eroticism without overdoing the gore. It also features fine performances, especially that of Pamela Franklin, and an above-average haunted-house story line. Hell House will keep you guessing all the way to the end. Something interesting to note is that apparently the MPAA hasn't reviewed the film since its release when it was given a PG rating. By today's standards, Hell House would definitely be rated PG-13.
X, Y & Zee
(1972)
Taylor on a Rampage
8 October 2014
X, Y and Zee is one of those rare films that can be perceived differently now than when it was originally released and be more enjoyable. However, one has to be in the right frame of mind. As a straight drama, it can be trite, uneven and a bit preposterous. But viewed as a kind of fascinating cultural time capsule with an over-the-top performance by Elizabeth Taylor as the scorned wife of a philandering Michael Caine, it can actually be quite entertaining and even hilarious. Never has any woman tried so hard to keep her man in the face of dire circumstances while simultaneously wreaking havoc on just about everyone. X, Y and Zee is a strange little film, but if you're a Taylor fan and don't mind overlooking a few flaws, you might find it quite entertaining and amusing. One thing for sure...this film belongs to Taylor; without her, it would be nothing.
Love Is Strange
(2014)
Lives Declining in a Gay Relationship
26 September 2014
If nothing else, Love is Strange has merits for the heartfelt and very believable performances of John Lithgow (as Ben) and Alfred Molina (as George), portraying two older gay men in a long-term relationship who decide to get married. Their wedding, which launches the film, is the highest point in a story that could have been called "Lives Fall Apart." For as soon as they marry, George, who works as a music teacher at a Catholic school, is fired because of the anti-gay-marriage doctrines of the Archdiocese. And things pretty much go downhill from there. Everything that happens in the film is credible, and it was refreshing to see a story directed at mature moviegoers, featuring good roles for older characters. Even so, I was left with a somewhat hollow feeling after seeing it. Actually, it seemed like director Ira Sachs went out of his way to be unsentimental, especially after a major development near the film's conclusion. In the end, it was hard to put a finger on how I felt about Love is Strange, except to say it felt strange.
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