DVD Review: Action-Adventure Movie Marathon

Action-Adventure Movie Marathon includes four films on two discs: I Escaped From Devil’s Island, The Final Option, Shake Hands With The Devil, and Treasure Of The Four Crowns. Three of those films are seriously good (one of them, in fact, is an excellent film). The fourth film, well, we’ll come to that one, but perhaps it’s best to think of this set as being three films, with a fourth thrown in as a bonus feature. Interestingly, the films are from different decades, with one from the fifties, one from the seventies, and two from the eighties.

I Escaped From Devil’s Island

I Escaped From Devil’s Island stars Jim Brown and Chris George as prisoners who make a daring escape from Devil’s Island. One thing that sets this film apart from other prison break movies is that it takes place in French Guiana in 1918, just as the war is ending. It opens with an execution scene, but just before the execution takes place, the war ends, with France and its allies victorious. So all death penalty cases are commuted to life sentences of hard labor on Devil’s Island.

The first section of the film takes place at the prison, where there is gambling among the prisoners. And interestingly, there are communist meetings as well. Davert (Chris George) is a pacifist who tries to talk sense to a guard, and gets a beating for his efforts. This film can be surprisingly brutal. And there is some cool shark footage. Escaping from the prison is just the beginning. This movie has lots of interesting developments, including help from lepers and a strange mating ritual that Lebras (Jim Brown) becomes involved in. It’s a seriously enjoyable film, written by Richard L. Adams and directed by William Witney. It was produced by Roger Corman and Gene Corman.

The Final Option

I have long been a fan of Judy Davis’ work, as she is always interesting. And she does not let me down in The Final Option, a movie about espionage, terrorism, and the quest for a peaceful planet. Plus, she looks totally hot in most of her outfits, like that fur jacket she wears in a concert scene. Frankie Leith (Judy Davis) is one of the two leaders of the People’s Lobby, an organization protesting nuclear weapons and aimed at creating peace. Captain Peter Skellen (Lewis Collins) is tasked with infiltrating their organization, getting close to Frankie, and discovering their plans, as it is believed that terrorists within the organization are plotting something big.

It’s a really good film, with lots of excellent scenes, such as an early scene at a military-type training facility. There is also a very impressive shot as Frankie takes Peter to the organization’s headquarters, beginning at one level, rising to another, and involving several actors. There are some surprises, and lots of interesting (and believable) procedural shots. But what’s really wonderful about this film is its characters.

In addition to an excellent and nuanced performance by Judy Davis, The Final Option also features a performance by Ingrid Pitt as Helga, an important woman within the organization. I am always happy to see Ingrid Pitt, and there is something sexy about her, even as she instructs people at a firing range (the targets are peace symbols, which is a humorous touch).

The Final Option was directed by Ian Sharp.

Shake Hands With The Devil

As good as those first two films are, the best film of the four in this collection is Shake Hands With The Devil, starring James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, and Glynis Johns. This 1959 film takes place in Dublin in 1921, and a bit of voice over at the beginning tells us that “It was also the year of the black and tans, the army assembled to replace the English regulars who had lost their taste for the suppression of men in search of freedom.” (And don’t worry, that’s the only narration in the film.)

Don Murray plays Kerry O’Shea, a medical student of Irish descent who had been raised in the United States and has no interest in getting involved in the Irish movement as he is against violence. Of course, circumstances force him to become involved, but what is wonderful is that it doesn’t happen quickly or easily. In fact, even after his friend and roommate is shot and killed, he doesn’t immediately join. Instead, he chooses to leave Ireland, though with the help of the movement. By the way, the scene where Sean Lenihan (James Cagney) works to try to save the friend’s life is wonderful, done basically without dialogue.

O’Shea is arrested, and his interrogation scene is done in a really interesting way, from O’Shea’s perspective with a close-up of the officer’s hand as it hits him. Of course, there’s no surer way to politicize someone than to beat him. That’s true of both sides. At one point, O’Shea asks an English prisoner, “Was Captain Fleming anything special to you?” The woman responds, “Not until you killed him.” What a great line.

This film is an intelligent, intriguing drama, offering no easy answers. It features an excellent performance by Cyril Cusack (from Harold And Maude) as Chris Noonan, and a young Richard Harris as Terence O’Brien. There is also a wonderful performance by Glynis Johns as Kitty Brady, a local woman who also finds herself caught up in the events.

Shake Hands With The Devil was directed by Michael Anderson, who also directed 1984 and Logan’s Run.

Treasure Of The Four Crowns

So the only bad film in this set is Treasure Of The Four Crowns. And it is not just bad. It is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. The film was originally released in 3D, and it is not in 3D here, so you have all sorts of stuff flying directly at the camera which without the 3D effect seems even sillier. Also, this DVD is not in the original aspect ratio, but is rather full screen, which makes for a less enjoyable viewing experience. For example, in the opening crawl (yes, exactly like in Star Wars), because of the full screen aspect, it’s difficult to read a complete line until it reaches the very top of the screen. It seems like less care was taken with this film (perhaps understandably), so it’s rather surprising that this is the only of the four films to have a bonus feature. There is a commentary track on this one. More on that in a bit.

The film opens with a man exploring a castle. Think of the opening of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, then subtract the suspense and the humor, remove all of the fun, and put in some birds and dogs and a less charismatic actor, and you’ll have a good idea of what this is about. Anyway, the film is full of random objects tossed at the camera and lots of pointless explosions. The plot, such as it is, involves this man being asked to break into the castle of a cult leader to steal the crowns. That’s it, really. Apart from the film being just awful and it being presented in the wrong aspect ratio without the 3D effect, the print is also a mess.  It actually seems like the camera crew just never checked the gate, never cleaned the lens. There are black globs all over the place throughout the film (and imagine how many more we’re missing due to the lack of the proper widescreen aspect ratio).

Basically, a film couldn’t possibly go more wrong than this one. And yet, there is a commentary track by a self-described fan of the film, Russell Dyball. He says it’s one of his favorite cult films of the 1980s, and repeatedly says he’s a fan of the film, and eventually I’m convinced that he is. He talks about how 3D is merely a gimmick used to get people to the movie theatre. So true, now as then. During the long opening scene, he says: “Obviously, there’s not a lot of plot going on here. It’s all about the 3D.” Throughout the film he points out problems with the plot and so on, and this is from a fan. He says it’s easy for some people to dismiss this film. It was certainly easy for me to do so.

But, again, the other three films are all worth watching and worth owning on DVD. Just think of the fourth one as a bonus feature that you’ll likely never watch.

Action-Adventure Movie Marathon is scheduled to be released on July 15, 2014 through Shout! Factory.

DVD Review: Sinbad: Make Me Wanna Holla

Sinbad’s new comedy special, Make Me Wanna Holla, is a ninety-minute show shot in Detroit and featuring Sinbad’s special brand of humor, with lots of audience interaction. It opens with some backstage silliness, where he has a conversation with his alter ego, Memphis, who wants to open for him. Sinbad confronts him on being a figment of his imagination, and that’s the funniest part of the pre-show business. Sinbad says to him, “When they say marijuana don’t hurt people, you’re an example that marijuana does hurt you and it does affect the brain.” Memphis responds, “Are you going to bring that up?”

The show then begins with Sinbad as Memphis performing with a good band that includes saxophone, trumpet, and female vocalists. It’s not allowed to go on for long. During the first song, Sinbad as Memphis stops the show. To make the transition from Memphis to Sinbad, he simply takes off his hat. He tosses it into the audience, then immediately tells security to retrieve it, which is great. (And we see the security guy take it back.) Sinbad explains, “They ain’t cheap.”

He then begins by talking about the state of things in Detroit, and racism, but makes a point that it’s more about class now than race. “Rich people hate poor people, whatever color they are.”

He quickly moves into gender relations. It’s territory that’s well covered, of course, but Sinbad puts his own bright spin on it, and his energy helps sell it as well. He mentions how women will lose interest in a man over little details, like his shoes. Men, of course, are different. “Men don’t walk away from nothing. Men do not walk away from any woman. You know how crazy a woman gotta be for us to let her go?”

There is some wonderful stuff about teachers dating students, and he interacts with his audience about it. And when talking about teenagers, he directly addresses a teenager in the audience, putting him on the spot, sure, but in a gentle way. There’s quite a lot of nice stuff on teachers, and he talks to an audience member who teachers at a private school. He asks her what the biggest problem is there, and she says the parents think they own the teachers. “Oh, they think they own you? Because they do.” And then he takes on the persona of a parent: “If I spend forty thousand dollars a year, oh, he’s going to pass. Because the check cleared.”

I love that he makes fun of the kindergarten graduation ceremonies they hold these days. I just learned about those recently because of my niece and nephew, and they’re completely bloody ridiculous. Sinbad says: “When I was coming up, you just went on to first grade, wasn’t nobody talking about it. As a matter of fact, you’re supposed to go. Who flunks kindergarten? Who doesn’t make it? We’re going to have to hold Timmy back.”

He turns to religion near the end, and the band comes back on to do two short religious songs. He then introduces the band, which I suppose is a nice gesture but completely unnecessary, as this is a comedy special and the band played for only a few minutes. Also, this is by far the weakest section of the performance. It’s odd to end on such a weak note. I would have cut all the stuff with the band – at the beginning and end.

But other than that, it’s an enjoyable performance, and I laughed out loud quite a bit. Plus, you can’t help but like the guy. He seems like a genuinely good and decent person, and that comes across well in his comedy, in his subjects, his presentation, and particularly in the way he interacts with audience members. On the back of the DVD it says, “An event for the whole family,” and it’s certainly a show that parents can watch with their children.

Sinbad: Make Me Wanna Holla was released on DVD on June 17, 2014.

Film Review: The Odd Way Home

The Odd Way Home is an unusual character-driven road film starring Rumer Willis as Maya, a young woman with dreams of someday making it big, and Chris Marquette as Duncan, an autistic man who lives with his grandmother.

The film opens with an intense scene of violence in which Maya is yanked out of the bath tub and beaten by her boyfriend. It is shown in shades of grey, the color drained from the scene as an indication of the state of deterioration and despair in that home. She then, understandably, packs her things and leaves, and the contrast of the bright day of that scene also helps give the sense that she’s making the right decision (though she takes a gun and some pills, so clearly she’s not ready to completely move on).

We then meet Duncan, who is spending significant time and energy brushing his teeth (even using professional dental equipment), something he films himself doing. He lives with his grandmother and works in a convenience store, where he has photos of a woman making different expressions, with the corresponding emotions written on the photos – “Angry,” “Sad,” and so on - to help him with his interactions with customers. He also has a passion for drawing maps.

When Maya’s truck breaks down, she sets out on foot, and the first house she comes upon is Duncan’s. She enters in order to use their phone, but finds the only occupant (Duncan’s grandmother) dead, and so helps herself to money, medication, and the truck she finds out back. But as she drives down the road, she discovers that Duncan is in the back, brushing his teeth. He, in fact, lives in the back of the truck. She asks him, “You live in this thing?” He says: “Are you angry? I don’t see angry very well.”

She drives him back home, where she discovers a check made out to Duncan for $3,000, a check from his father. She then takes him and the truck. And at this point the film becomes sort of a strange road movie. I figured she’d just drive him to a bank and have him cash the check so she could take the money. But no, they hit the road. It’s not entirely clear why she chooses to take him as a companion. At one point he leaves her and she gets upset, telling him never to do that again. But what hasn’t been established is what in her character or history makes her connect to this guy so strongly so quickly and makes her feel responsible for him. That, for me, is the film’s major flaw.

There is also some clunky dialogue, as when an ex-boyfriend tells Maya: “The world will embrace you one day, Maya, and I will forever be proud of you.” Maya had left her small-town existence in order to make it as a singer, and so Dave, her ex-boyfriend, has her perform in his bar. But then suddenly she and Duncan are on the road again, without any explanation or farewell to Dave.

But the characters are endearing and interesting enough that the film manages to basically overcome these problems. The movie has a lot of heart, and is centered on the two unusual characters and their developing friendship. And it does not become a film about Maya pursuing her dreams, but rather dealing with her past, as well as Duncan’s past. They visit Duncan’s father, who has a new family and offers them money to basically disappear. Yeah, he’s quite a piece of work, but he’s played well by Bruce Altman. And there is a wonderful moment after Duncan takes his father’s globe and says, “Thank you for the world.” As Duncan and Maya leave, there is just the hint of a smile from Duncan’s father, which is a very nice touch, making him more human.

The film has a good supporting cast, particularly Bruce Altman as Duncan’s father, Veronica Cartwright as Maya’s mother (though she has some bad lines to deliver), and Dave Vescio as a man they encounter along the way. And there is a reference to Being There, when Duncan says that a man keeps calling him Chauncy and asking him to work on his garden.

The Odd Way Home was directed by Rajeev Nirmalakhandan, and was released on DVD on June 24, 2014.

DVD Review: NYPD Blue Season 6

NYPD Blue is one of the best police dramas to ever air on television, due to its good cast, interesting stories which are often allowed to develop over several episodes, and especially its characters and their relationships. Through Shout! Factory, NYPD Blue Season 6 was released for the first time on DVD, with six discs containing all twenty-two episodes. The sixth season saw some changes, mainly in the departure of Jimmy Smits as Bobby Simone and the arrival of Rick Schroder as Danny Sorenson.

Bobby begins having health issues in the first episode of the season, “Top Gum.” In the season’s second episode, “Cop In A Bottle,” Bobby collapses at a crime scene and is taken to the hospital. One thing that makes this show so good is the relationships between characters, and how each character is affected by what happens to the others. It isn’t just about the crime of the week. As Bobby’s condition worsens in “Number And Number,” Andy Sipowicz takes it out on those around him. And then in “Brother’s Keeper,” Bobby’s condition worsens still, while the detectives work on a brutal murder case. The fact that the doctors are still unsure what caused Bobby’s infection affects Andy’s reaction when a suspect vomits on him (leading to a good scene in the station bathroom).

Andy Sipowicz is at the heart of what makes this show so good and enjoyable. He is such an interesting character, with serious strengths and serious flaws, and is played fearlessly by Dennis Franz. He is able to do so much with just a look or a reaction. And the way he relates to each of the other detectives is interesting, and always feels real.

In the sixth episode of the season, he gets a new partner, Danny Sorenson, played by Rick Schroder. It is really interesting to see how this character is developed. I love that nothing is rushed in that regard. In “The Big Bang Theory” we see him dealing with a friend who is becoming unhinged, and we see that Danny himself has some anger issues. (D.B. Sweeney is really good as his friend Joey.) And we get more hints of Danny’s past when his sister shows up in a later episode.

I like that many of the characters, even those in the supporting roles, are believable and feel like fully formed people rather than simply a few characteristics fitting an immediate story purpose. The show can even make you feel for the criminals on occasion, as in “Numb And Number,” when a father stabs a man who was with his daughter. And one of the criminals in “Czech Bouncer” is someone you end up really feeling for. And Danny’s reaction to him is equally moving.

This season features some excellent guest star performances. In “Raging Bulls,” Kevin Dillon plays a rookie cop who gets into trouble. This is one of the season’s most interesting episodes, involving cops shooting other cops during a foot chase. It also brings up some personal stuff involving members of the precinct. (Kevin Dillon reprises the role in a later episode.) And “The Big Bang Theory” features a fantastic guest star performance by Caroline Aaron (an actor I’ve loved in several Woody Allen films). Terrence Howard (here credited as Terrence Dashon Howard) gives a great performance as AJ in “What’s Up, Chuck?” Though I can’t help but laugh when after admitting to a murder he says, “I don’t even deserve that juice,” referring to a drink Diane had taken from him at the beginning of the scene. Dick Miller (an actor I am always happy to see) has a small role in “I’ll Draw You A Map,” and is excellent.

This show is also good at providing details that indicate character without immediately explaining precisely what those details mean. For example, when Danny is agitated about certain things, he tends to grab pens and paperclips and such, and stuff them in his pockets. We see it fairly early in the season, and then again in the penultimate episode. We get a feel for what he’s doing without knowing the specifics, and that’s rather unusual for a television program.

The only major weakness of the series is the music. Usually it’s obnoxious and loud only in the establishing shots. But every once in a while, it intrudes on what would otherwise be a good moment. The most egregious example is at the end of the episode titled “Grime Scene,” when Diane buys a bottle of alcohol. The dramatic music that plays as she makes her purchase is awful. Usually the show is good about not punching a point, but here it fails. And there is one surprisingly weak episode, “Tain’t Misbehavin’” (and no, the incredibly stupid title isn’t all that’s wrong with this one).

Those minor points don’t detract all that much from what is an excellent season, with some exciting storylines that continue through many episodes. And I am looking forward to revisiting Season 7.

NYPD Blue stars Dennis Franz, Rick Schroder, James McDaniel, Kim Delaney, Gordon Clapp, Nicholas Turturro, Andrea Thompson, Bill Brochtrup, Jimmy Smits and Sharon Lawrence.

NYPD Blue Season 6 was released on June 24, 2014 through Shout! Factory. The six-disc set contains no special features.

DVD Review: James Thurber: The Life And Hard Times

James Thurber: The Life And Hard Times is an interesting documentary about the writer who is most well-known for his short story, “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty,” and also for his work at The New Yorker – both short stories and artwork. The documentary is narrated by George Plimpton, and features several interviews with writers, as well as footage of Thurber.

It opens with a piece from an interview with writer and humorist Stuart Hample, who talks about meeting Thurber at a party. Hample does a sketch of Thurber as he describes him and the scene (a delightful touch). “He stood by the piano and he said, ‘I love music. Christ, how I love music. I always wanted to be a musician. And what am I?’ And he slapped the piano with his hand. ‘What am I? Nothing but a goddamn humorist.’” What a great anecdote to begin the film, with one humorist being described by another, and showing both the humor and frustrations of the film’s subject.

Playwright Edward Albee says of Thurber, “What an extraordinarily good and serious writer he was, when he has the reputation of being a humorist.” He goes on to say, “He’s a very funny writer, but with a tragic sense of humor.” The film also includes interviews with John Updike, Fran Lebowitz, Alistair Cooke, and Roy Blount, Jr. There is also an interview with Rosemary Thurber, his daughter from his first marriage.

The film provides some interesting biographical information. Particularly intriguing is the material on Thurber’s mother and the relationship between her and his father. Thurber’s mother was a prankster of sorts, and biographer Burton Bernstein tells a funny anecdote of one of her pranks. Both parents opposed Thurber’s first marriage, to Althea, and there’s an interesting note that Thurber’s brother Robert boycotted the wedding, but no word on exactly why. (That’s one of the few moments while watching this film when I wanted more information.) Thurber and Althea moved to New York, and in 1927 Thurber sold a short story to The New Yorker. The film then goes into information on that magazine, and the effect E.B. White had on Thurber’s writing, with an interview with senior editor Roger Angell. There is some interesting discussion on the difference between Thurber’s writing and his cartoons, and about the way women are portrayed in the cartoons.

And of course there is a section of this documentary devoted to “The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty,” which was written in 1939 “about a timid man who fantasizes that he is a hero” (Plimpton’s narration). Plimpton says, “It would become Thurber’s most famous work.” What’s interesting about this section is the biographical information, how Thurber’s father was a Mitty-like character, and that Mrs. Mitty is like Thurber’s mother. And there is a little information on the film version, which Thurber disliked, referring to it as “The Public Life Of Danny Kaye.”

The film includes footage from an episode of Omnibus from 1954, where host Alistair Cooke interviews James Thurber. At the age of eight, while playing a William Tell game, Thurber was shot in the left eye with a toy arrow. And late in his life, the vision started to go in his other eye. At the time of the interview, Thurber was nearly blind, and he talks about having to give up drawing completely. But he finds the positive side to be being blind, saying that it allows him to not be distracted from his writing.

By the way, the title of the documentary comes from the title of Thurber’s book My Life And Hard Times. Excerpts of his writing are read to us at a few points throughout the documentary, and the work is quite funny. There is also some wonderful footage of an acceptance speech that Thurber gave late in his life.

James Thurber: The Life And Hard Time was directed by Adam Van Doren and originally aired in 2000. It was released on DVD on June 17, 2014 through First Run Features. Also released on that day was another documentary related to The New Yorker, Top Hat & Tales: Harold Ross And The Making Of The New Yorker, which was likewise directed by Adam Van Doren. There are no special features on the DVD.

DVD Review: In Bloom

In Bloom tells the story of two young men who are in love but find themselves struggling with what they perceive as the ordinary routine of the relationship. It features good performances by the two leads, and a quiet, realistic approach to their story, against a Chicago backdrop and a threat of violence.

The film begins at a low-key party in which Kurt (Kyle Wigent) spots Paul (Tanner Rittenhouse) seated by himself on the couch, and goes to sit next to him. It seems he’s going to try to pick him up. But after a moment he asks, “So how have you been?” And it turns out they know each other. Kurt tells him he now has a normal job and hates it. After an awkward pause, Paul says, “I can’t believe it’s taken you this long to talk to me.” Kurt doesn’t know what to say to Paul. The scene is done almost entirely in singles, which is great, showing the distance from each other that they both feel though they’re next to each other. Paul asks, “What now?” And you feel suddenly that possibilities are opening for them. It’s a really nice scene about regrets and the chance to move forward into the unknown.

Interestingly, after making the viewer think of possible futures for these characters, the film then goes back to seven months earlier. Paul works stocking shelves at a grocery store. Kurt sells pot (so his line about having a job carries more significance), and Paul doesn’t smoke. They’re already together, so it’s not one of those films that go back to the beginning to relate each step in a relationship. Almost immediately we learn, through a television newscast, that there is a series of murders in Boys Town. So that sense of danger hangs over the events of the film, though Kurt doesn’t let it affect him too much.

On the beach they play the game of looking at other people, saying who they’re attracted to. I’m glad the camera remains on them, not showing the men they’re looking at, because it’s not really about those men. Their particulars aren’t important. And by not showing them, the film tells us that Paul and Kurt aren’t taking this game at all seriously, that they’re not going after the men they see. But it also tells us that the idea of Someone Else is in their heads. This film really sticks closely with Paul and Kurt, with lots of close-ups, and because of that, it has an intimate feel.

They have minor arguments, like when Paul tries to get Kurt to eat some of his food at a restaurant, and these work to give the film a realistic feel.  And they each express some longing for change. Paul wants to travel, saying he’s tired of the same old thing (not that he could afford to go to Europe on a stock boy’s wages). And later Kurt talks to a friend about how there might be someone better out there, and that possibility itself is enough to make him destroy a relationship.

Two other men come into play during the course of their relationship. Kevin (Adam Fane) is a man who buys pot from Kurt and hits on him. (That leads to the oddest line of the film, when Kurt says to him on the phone: “How about I head over in about an hour? I’m going to make a sandwich first.” An hour? That must be some sandwich.) Eddie (Jake Andrews) is an awkward young man who works with Paul and who is trying to come to terms with his sexuality. He invites him to his birthday party, telling him he doesn’t have many friends. I really like what Jake Andrews does with Eddie, elevating him from what could easily have been a two-dimensional character.

Of course, we know from the opening scene that their relationship is in trouble, that they will break up. After they do, there’s a nice sequence where they each sit on the edge of a bed, facing toward the camera, and it’s like they’re looking at each other, but they’re in separate apartments. Sadly, it’s followed by a silly montage of them unhappy after the breakup, with Kurt painting his face and going to a club, and Paul drinking by himself. It’s one of the few things in the film that doesn’t quite ring true.

In Bloom was written and directed by C.M. Birkmeier, and was released on DVD on June 3, 2014 through TLA Releasing. The DVD includes the film’s trailer.

DVD Review: Paul Bowles: The Cage Door Is Always Open

Like probably most of you, I was turned onto Paul Bowles when I read The Sheltering Sky in my late teens. It had a serious effect on me, as it did on others. Indeed, the first lines of narration in the new documentary film, Paul Bowles: The Cage Door Is Always Open, are: “You never know when a book will change your life. In 1997 I read The Sheltering Sky.” The filmmaker goes on to say that he contacted Paul Bowles and set up an interview with him after that, which ended up being one of the last interviews Paul Bowles gave.

The film begins with footage from that interview, with Paul Bowles talking about why he wrote. When asked if he thinks he said what he set out to, Bowles answers, “No, but slowly it came not to matter.” From that moment, I was completely hooked on this film. You could take what he said in a positive or negative light, but the fact that Bowles is in bed in the footage adds to the sort of heartache of what he’s saying.

The filmmaker returns to that interview with Paul Bowles throughout the film, and in some respects it acts as the documentary’s center. At one point Bowles talks about how he thought he’d be a composer. And he did write music, something I wasn’t aware of. Some pieces that he composed for piano are played at various points in the film. For a little while he made a living by composing incidental music for theatre. He also wrote music reviews to earn money.

The film includes interviews with several writers including Gore Vidal, John Hopkins, and Edmund White. There is some weird camera work during the interviews, where the camera approaches a subject from one odd angle or another, and these shots work in conjunction with the more traditionally framed static shots during interviews.

Paul Bowles’ relationship with his wife, Jane, is intriguing, and the documentary gives us several perspectives on it, including those of Gore Vidal and Ruth Fainlight. I did not know that Jane Bowles was also a writer, and I am now excited to read her novel Two Serious Ladies, which was written and published before Paul Bowles wrote The Sheltering Sky. I also found the stuff about Jane being poisoned fascinating, and wanted more information and clarification on that.

Of course, the documentary focuses on The Sheltering Sky, and its popularity. Bowles, in his interview, talks about the reviews and also the money he made from that novel. “I went out and bought a Jaguar convertible,” he says. The film adaptation is also discussed, and the documentary includes an interview with director Bernardo Bertolucci. There is also some information on William S. Burroughs, and a bit about how Paul and Jane are portrayed in the film version of The Naked Lunch.

The documentary gives a little background on Tangier, where Bowles wrote The Sheltering Sky. Another thing I didn’t know about Paul Bowles is that he recorded traditional Moroccan music there, helping to preserve the culture. And the documentary treats us to a couple snippets from those recordings.

Near the end, we return to the main interview with Paul Bowles, and he talks about the importance of laughter. “If you take tragedy too seriously, it swamps you. But if you take it with a shrug and a giggle, you’ll enjoy life more, I think.” Absolutely.

Paul Bowles: The Cage Door Is Always Open was directed by Daniel Young, and was released on DVD on June 17, 2014 through First Run Features. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: Vinyl

Vinyl is a fun, enjoyable rock and roll film based on Mike Peters’ 2004 hoax, in which he released a single under a fake band’s name. In Vinyl, Phil Daniels plays Johnny Jones, who was lead singer and guitarist for a group called Weapons Of Happiness. Twenty years after the band’s breakup, the members are re-united because of a friend’s funeral. An impromptu late-night jam session at the mansion of one member results in a song which Johnny believes is good enough to be a single, but which the band’s old record label won’t listen to because of the age of the members.

The film opens with Johnny, in an animal print fake fur coat, walking across a field to make a drug purchase from a child. He lives in a trailer with his wife, Jules (Julia Ford), and early on we see him going through old concert posters and other mementos from his time in the band. Clearly things aren’t going all that well for him, and he is still caught up in his more glorious past, but he’s not depressed or anything. He and Jules seem to have a good relationship. When they go to the funeral, Jules is now wearing that animal print coat, and it’s obviously hers. It’s a nice detail, him throwing on something of hers when the need be, and it’s something that comes into play again later in the film.

By the way, the funeral scene features an appearance by Steve Diggle – a very cool cameo by a member of one of my favorite bands, The Buzzcocks. Steve Diggle also provides some music for this film, though most of the music was written by Mike Peters (who is most well known as the lead singer of The Alarm).

Johnny meets the other members of Weapons Of Happiness at the funeral, and there is still some bitterness among them. But they get together for a little jam session at the mansion belonging to Robbie (Perry Benson). When the band’s old recording label refuses to even listen to the resulting track, Johnny has the idea of creating a fake band of attractive young people and putting one over on the label. Johnny says, “And when the single hits the charts, we reveal the scam to the press and shame the corporate tossers for the hypocrites they are.”

I like this cast, and there is something of a music background to several of them. Phil Daniels starred in Quadrophenia. He’s also in one of my favorite rock and roll movies, Still Crazy (which is another film about an aging rock group). And he is a musician himself (he co-wrote "Free Rock 'N' Roll," the main song of this film, with Mike Peters). Keith Allen is also a musician, a member of Fat Les. On film, he portrayed Irving Berlin in De-Lovely, and was also in the television series The Young Person’s Guide To Becoming A Rock Star. Perry Benson appeared in Sid And Nancy. (In addition, several cast members have been in Shakespeare productions. That's not really related to music, but is impressive.)

There are some things that don’t quite work in this film. When Johnny goes to the record company, the secretary is wearing a Buzzcocks T-shirt. But he has apparently not heard of the band, which doesn’t seem believable (though I knew a guy who wore a Cleveland Steamer T-shirt and swore he didn’t know what it meant – right). And the montage of auditions they hold for the fake band is nothing new. There is also a scene where they film a music video for their fake band, and one of the blokes holds a boom microphone. That’s ridiculous for two reasons. First, it’s clearly not plugged into anything; the wire dangles from the end of the pole. Secondly, and this is more important, no sound would be recorded anyway. It’s a music video. And they do smash a guitar at the end of that sequence, something I never like to see. It always pains me.

But those are relatively minor complaints, and there is a lot of really good stuff in this film. I like that when they have their first press conference for the fake band, the girl in the band wears an animal print fake fur jacket similar to the one Johnny’s wife owns. It’s a small detail, but it shows sort of where Johnny's heart lies, and that this project really is his baby. I also like that the “drugs” in this band’s “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” is Viagra. There’s a brief, but funny and actually charming and sweet scene where Johnny pops the pill. There are some other good music references as well. Jules at one point wears a Clash T-shirt. And of course there is a shot of Johnny walking across Abbey Road.

Another thing that really wins me over is that this film has heart.

Bonus Features

The DVD contains a behind-the-scenes featurette, with interviews with several cast members including Phil Daniels, Chris Turner, Keith Allen, Perry Benson and James Cartwright. Mike Peters is also interviewed, and he talks a bit about the real hoax (though I would have liked more on that). Jules Peters, his wife and the inspiration for the Jules character, is interviewed as well. (She is absolutely beautiful.) And co-writer/director Sara Sugarman is also interviewed. But all of this is quite short.

The DVD also includes the “Free Rock ‘N’ Roll” music video, which is partly the music video from the film, and partly other footage. A photo gallery and the film’s trailer are also included.

Vinyl was directed by Sara Sugarman, and is scheduled to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 1, 2014 through Shout! Factory.

DVD Review: Top Hat & Tales: Harold Ross And The Making Of The New Yorker

Top Hat & Tales: Harold Ross And The Making Of The New Yorker sets the stage by opening with footage of New York in the roaring twenties. We learn that Harold Ross, founder and editor of The New Yorker, was a high school drop-out (something I hadn’t known), and then the film immediately goes into thoughts on the magazine by writers such as Philip Hamburger and Stuart Hample.

The film is as much about the influence and style of the magazine as it is about its origins. It includes interviews with many former and current employees of The New Yorker, as well as lots of images of art and cartoons from the magazine.

There is some information near the beginning regarding investor Raoul Fleischmann, and also about some of the magazine’s first writers. Brendan Gill talks about how the magazine was really the product of three men who knew nothing about New York City or the Jazz Age. He says (about Harold Ross, E.B. White and James Thurber): “They were all, in effect, hicks. They were all total outsiders.” John Updike says: “What Thurber and White did bring to The New Yorker was a sense of nervousness. I think they were both truly nervous men.” It was Katharine White who helped provide the sophistication which Harold Ross envisioned for the magazine.

This documentary provides first an overview of the magazine, its style and so on before then providing the viewer with information about Harold Ross himself and his upbringing. We’re halfway through the film before we learn much about Ross, and it is that material that for me is the most interesting. The fact that he began working for his local newspaper in his early teens and then left home for California at age eighteen is interesting. Even more interesting is the story of how after enlisting during the first World War, Ross walked to Paris to work on The Stars And Stripes, and became the editor of that paper. Also intriguing is all of the stuff on how World War II affected the style of the magazine.

Top Hat & Tales: Harold Ross And The Making Of The New Yorker was directed by Adam Van Doren, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on June 17, 2014 through First Run Features. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: The Soul Man: The Complete First Season

I have to admit that I’d never really given Cedric The Entertainer a chance. And that’s due entirely to his name. His real name is Cedric Antonio Kyles. But he uses the name “Cedric The Entertainer” to distinguish himself from the well-respected Cedric The Drywall Repairman and the widely idolized Cedric The Haberdasher. Anyway, enough of that.

The Soul Man is a situation comedy that stars Cedric The Entertainer as Boyce Ballentine, a singer who returns home to become a minister after his father retires. And he is actually quite good, so maybe I’ve been missing out all these years. The series also stars Niecy Nash as Lolli (Boyce’s wife), John Beasley as Barton (Boyce’s father), Wesley Jonathan as Stamps (Boyce’s younger brother), and Jazz Raycole as Lyric (Boyce’s daughter). The Soul Man: The Complete First Season contains the twelve episodes of the first season, as well as some bonus material.

Boyce Ballentine has moved his family from Las Vegas back to St. Louis because he’s received the calling. In the first episode, “Lost In The Move,” his wife and daughter are still trying to get used to the adjustment. Lolli has the first really funny line of the series: “Honey, we’re all having a difficult time on account of your father.” The episode’s title refers to some items of clothing Boyce is looking for, which Lolli says were lost in the move (meaning she tossed them because she didn’t like them).

There are the usual weaknesses inherent in the sitcom format – some lame jokes, simple plotlines and easy solutions. In “Pastor Interference,” when Boyce and Lolli are about to have sex, he says he wants to get freaky, and actually uses the cliché, “I’ll go get the whipped cream.” That might have been freaky or daring four decades ago, but these days only a fourteen-year-old or a Mormon would consider that kinky. But then Boyce saves it by also grabbing a spatula, and then saying: “Now, God, you’re going to hear your name quite a bit. We’re not asking for help. We’re just saying thank you.” That’s great. There are actually a lot of good lines in this series.

Some of the best material is the stuff delivered quickly. Like during an audition in “The Ballentine Hands,” Boyce says “We’ll call you” and Lester immediately says “We won’t.”  And in “To Leave Or Not To Leave,” when Boyce is on the phone with his mother. He says, “Are you trying to tell me dad was fun once?” She immediately responds: “Twice. That’s how you boys got here.” That episode has a lot of funny material, as when Barton tells Boyce, “We should move this church into the twentieth century.” Boyce corrects him, “Twenty-first.” Barton responds, “Even better.”

It is often Barton who has the best lines. Like in “My Old Flame,” he says, “What she don’t know won’t hurt you.” And in one of the best episodes, “J.C. Carpenter’s Gospel Show,” he’s hilarious when he says “Get out of my way, I gotta go kiss somebody.” His delivery is spot-on. By the way, right near the end of that episode, when J.C. steps up to the front of the church, the congregation applauds. Now, when you work as an extra, they want you to be absolutely quiet, and so you have to fake your applause. But check out the guy in the suit on the left side of the screen. While pretending to clap, his hands don’t come within a foot of each other. It’s like he’s kneading a giant hovering invisible ball of dough. It’s hilarious. I watched it eight times.

This show also has a couple of excellent guest stars. Cynthia Stevenson (whom I love in Home For The Holidays and Happiness) appears in “How To Be A Church Lady” as Carolyn, a woman who is engaged to a man at Boyce’s church and tries to fit in. She is delightful, as always. And in the next episode, “Loving Las Vegas,” Tim Reid guest stars as Henry, the manager of the hotel where Boyce and his family stay. (I will always think of Tim Reid as Venus Flytrap, from WKRP In Cincinnati.) He’s great in this episode.

Be sure to watch the closing credits, because some of the songs that play over them are seriously funny. The closing credits feature different songs for different episodes. The song in the episode titled “The God-Fathers” has lines like “I want you/I need you/I just can’t remember your name.” And the closing song in the episode “Loving Las Vegas” is wonderful. It’s a country song with the line, “How can I miss you if you don’t go away.”

Bonus Features

The two-disc DVD set includes interviews with the cast, totaling approximately fourteen minutes. Cedric The Entertainer talks about appearing on Hot In Cleveland (where the character of Boyce originated), and gives some ideas on parenting. Niecy Nash also talks about parenting. And together they discuss their characters’ relationship. They’re really funny and sweet together, by the way. Wesley Jonathan talks about his character. And the cast talks about the music video and about the joy of taping in front of a live audience.

The Soul Man: The Complete First Season is scheduled to be released on July 8, 2014 through Shout! Factory.

Film Review: Breaking Through

Breaking Through is a documentary film about gay men and women in positions in the United States government, told through a series of interviews. The film opens with images from the news media related to the treatment of gay people, and some disturbing images captured in a church, in which the preacher encourages parents of gay children to “Give them a good punch.” But once the film gets going, it’s almost entirely footage from the interviews.

Those interviewed begin by giving brief personal accounts of growing up, relating early experiences in discovering who they were in a world that seemed to hate just that. It’s interesting because all of these people attained positions in government. And that’s really what sets this documentary apart from other documentaries regarding homosexuality. These men and women had the same issues as other gay people while growing up, and they talk about their childhood struggles, their fears, the taunting and abuse they suffered. But just by their current positions within the government, they should be an inspiration to gay youth who might be suffering now. These are folks who are mayors, senators, representatives, Supreme Court justices, secretaries of state and so on.

They then ease into talking about the idea of running for office, many saying they didn’t think it possible. Toni Atkins (California State Assembly Member), for example, says: “I’d never intended to run for office. I didn’t think it was possible. I just didn’t think America was about me.” And Bonnie Dumanis (District Attorney, San Diego) says, “I always thought being gay was going to be a barrier to whatever I chose, and I was certainly in the closet for a long, long time.”

There are a lot of people interviewed, which is both a strength and weakness of this film. It’s a strength in that it shows the large number of gay people who have achieved these positions, which is wonderful. But it’s a weakness, as the film doesn’t delve too far into any one particular story during the first half. During the second half of the film, several of the subjects interviewed receive more focus.

Some talk about how they were forced out of the closet by stories in the press. Barney Frank (U.S. Representative, MA) talks about how he tried to be privately gay and publicly not gay. Karla Drenner (State Representative, GA) tells an incredible anecdote about applying for high-level clearance and being asked if she were homosexual. Her answer is wonderful: “Not at this moment.” There are a lot of positive stories, such as that regarding Alex Wan (City Councilman, Atlanta), who was accepted by his family and who ran as an openly gay candidate, receiving overwhelming support from his community.

The score to this film at times is a distraction. Kate Brown (Secretary Of State, OR) tells an interesting anecdote about her first job, but the serious dramatic music overpowers rather than underscores what she’s saying.

As I indicated, the film is made up almost entirely of interviews. But there is some news footage approximately two thirds of the way through regarding Dick Armey calling Barney Frank “Barney Fag.” We’re treated to Armey’s explanation: “I mispronounced the name of my friend and colleague Barney Frank in a way that sounds like a slur.” And yes, the film gives us Barney Frank’s reaction: “Armey said that, he clearly meant to say it.” Frank makes a great point – that Armey had to answer to it, whereas ten years earlier he likely wouldn’t have had to. “The fact that he felt compelled to lie about it was an indication that we had made progress.”

The film really does ultimately have a positive message for gay youth, who should be inspired by the people interviewed in this film. And, as David Cicilline (U.S. Representative, RI) says: “It matters a lot for openly gay and lesbian candidates to run for office, because just running for office really does help to change people’s hearts and minds. It can help a community have conversations that they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

I would have liked more on their perspectives regarding specific recent anti-gay legislation, and how they handle it. And it would have been good to have a bit more news footage to break up the interviews (I wanted to know just where that opening footage in the church came from, and the film never returns to it). By the way, there are no interviews from those with opposing viewpoints, just a few shots of those morons with the signs about God hating gay people.

Breaking Through was directed by Cindy L. Abel.