DVD Review: Heather McDonald: “I Don’t Mean To Brag…”

Heather McDonald is known for her appearances on the program Chelsea Lately, and as the author of a couple of books, including a New York Times best-seller. Her new DVD, I Don’t Mean To Brag, showcases her talent at stand-up comedy.

She starts this hour-long special with a bit on dealing with TSA agents at the airport. Sure, lots of comedians have material on those nuts, but Heather offers a personal spin on the subject. She says: “It’s just nice, you know, to be touched… I’m married, so I have to pay people to touch me.” She tells the audience she’s been married for thirteen years, and after they predictably applaud that, she adds, “Happily for six.” I appreciate that, because it’s sort of a subtle dig at the audience for applauding the usual thing.

Much of her routine is related to her family. Heather McDonald has some really good material on her husband being cheap, including the positive side of his having that characteristic. And I love her bit on being Catholic, and going to the church if she has a nice outfit to wear, because “Going up for communion is like a little runway.” And how sending her children to Catholic school has turned them into little narcs. I also love her material on her kids playing sports, and how that can ruin her weekend. “No, I don’t really want to get in an RV and go to Bakersfield with a traveling soccer team. No, I don’t. I hope you lose. I really do.”

I like when Heather tosses little comments into the middle of a thought. Like when she mentions her oldest son, she quickly throws in “He’s my least favorite.” At another point, when she’s doing a bit on her husband having sleep apnea, she tosses in, “I don’t mean to brag, but we do have health insurance.”

As much as she might jokingly brag about something, Heather also is quick to poke fun at herself and her own life. “And this other thing that happens since I’ve turned forty is if I go on a trampoline or yell at my son suddenly, I pee a little.”

The stage design for this performance is a bit odd, with lots of chandeliers suspended at different heights against a bright blue backdrop. It’s a bit distracting.

I Don’t Mean To Brag is scheduled to be released on DVD on January 20, 2015 through Inception Media Group. The DVD has no special features.

DVD Review: Hi-8: Horror Independent Eight

Hi-8: Horror Independent Eight is an anthology of eight horror films that were shot on Hi-8 and similar video formats. It opens like an old videocassette that was just popped into a player, with lines across the screen, and then a jumpy warning: “The following motion picture is not intended for young eyes” and so on, setting up the tone and goals right from the start. The short films, in large part, embrace the low-budget, cheesy aspect of the format.

The eight shorts vary in quality, with the best three being “The Tape,” “Gang Them Style” and “The Scout.” In “The Tape,” two guys in a video store talk about the glory days of videocassettes, and one of them, Tim, takes home a box of cassettes, including Bloodgasm. He soon becomes mesmerized by that movie, engrossed in it even when his girlfriend, Phoebe, shows up to have sex with him. Tim wants to find a way to release the film, and goes to meet the actor who played the killer. I like that when the actor answers his door wearing a horror mask, neither Tim nor Phoebe is put off by it. And now that actor wants to finish the film. “The Tape” was directed by Tony Masiello.

“Gang Them Style” is kind of delightfully goofy. In this one, R.J. (Wes Reid) goes to see his nana at the nursing home, while zombies attack people outside. R.J. is a faux-tough guy, and he tries to rescue all the old folks at the nursing home. It’s cute and silly, with an appropriate 1980s-type score. One of the nursing home patients quotes Star Wars, They Live and Night Of The Living Dead. And we learn that the elderly make the slowest zombies. “Gang Them Style” was directed by Ron Bonk.

“The Scout” is about a couple driving out into the desert to scout a location for a movie. On their way out there, Madison (Alexis Codding) learns she earned a callback for another film, and needs to get back to Los Angeles by 5 p.m. But when it’s time to return, their car won’t start, and their frustration leads to an argument. This film has a bit of dialogue about the Hi-8 format, and also a reference to KC & The Sunshine Band. It features a nice location and some decent acting from both leads. “The Scout” was written and directed by Brad Sykes.

“A Very Bad Situation” features some good horror special effects makeup, but seems to end suddenly and way too soon. “Thicker Than Water” is about a jealous girlfriend, who is nutty and also pregnant. Talk about horror! “Switchblade Insane” is narrated by the wife of a rapist/serial killer, and she tells us how she learned of her husband’s hobby. “The Request” is about a late-night DJ who gets an odd call from a woman. It is awkward in its handling of exposition, and includes the old bit where an unplugged phone rings. The weakest of the shorts is “Genre Bending,” which is just stupid and includes a fat girl on a trampoline for no reason (“Well, I might as well bounce”).

In addition to the eight short films, there is a wraparound segment, which begins the film, and then continues after each short. That wraparound segment starts with a girl slowly jogging up a dirty path, and when a masked man jumps out to attack her, it is revealed that some kids are shooting a home-made movie on Hi-8. The girl asks why they’re using this old camera, perhaps anticipating the question of this movie’s audience.

The end credits include the rules the filmmakers had to abide by for this experiment.

Special Features

The DVD includes a commentary track by writer/director/producer Brad Sykes and producer Josephina Sykes. They discuss the origins of the project (including the title), and the parameters, as well as giving information on each of the filmmakers. The one weakness of “The Tape” is the video store set, and they do discuss the reasons behind that. Brad talks about shooting the wraparound segment in Griffith Park in the area where the Independent Shakespeare Company performs in the summer. What’s cool is that it was attending Shakespeare performances that introduced him to that location. And he actually uses one of the Independent Shakespeare Company’s members for a role in that segment (if you live in L.A., you likely enjoyed André Martin as Tranio in this year’s production of The Taming Of The Shrew).

The DVD also includes The 8 Simple Rules Of Hi-8, a featurette on the making of the film. This is basically interviews with producer/director Brad Sykes and producer Josephina Sykes. They talk about how the project came about, and talk about each of the directors involved in this project. The special features also include a teaser trailer, a photo gallery, and three short promotional clips.

Hi-8: Horror Independent Eight was released on DVD on December 16, 2014 through Wild Eye Releasing.

DVD Review: My Little Pony: The Movie

Good news, Bronies and Pegasisters! Shout! Factory is releasing My Little Pony: The Movie, the first My Little Pony full-length feature, on DVD. And though it might lack the familiar voice talents of Tara Strong, Andrea Libman, and the rest of the Friendship Is Magic gang, this one features such well-known actors as Danny DeVito, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Rhea Perlman and Tony Randall, as well as the folks from the 1980s television series, including Nancy Cartwright (who is known for doing the voice of Bart Simpson). It also features Spike, everyone’s favorite baby dragon, here voiced by Charlie Adler.

The ponies and other animals are enjoying the Spring Festival, but Lickety Split ruins a show by trying to perform her own dance step in the middle of it. Ah, the 1980s, when even ponies wore legwarmers. Lickety Split impetuously decides to set out on her own, but Spike accompanies her.

Meanwhile the witches – Hydia (Cloris Leachman) and her two daughters, Reeka (Rhea Perlman) and Draggle (Madeline Kahn) – are plotting against the joy of the ponies. Hydia is disappointed in the lack of evil in her daughters. She waxes nostalgic: “Those were the good old days, when everything around here was dark and dank and dreary, before these sweet little ponies came along and made everything clean and bright and colorful.” She sings a delightful song about how they should be more evil. Among the things that upset Hydia is the fact that her daughters don’t play with the guillotine she bought for them.

There are several songs in this film, many of which are quite fun, like “Dirty Work,” which the young witches sing as they collect spell components for the Smooze. And I like the song the Smooze itself sings with the witches. There is also a sweet and kind of clever song at a well, with a funny call-and-response aspect to it.

My Little Pony: The Movie is mostly delightful, and has a lot of cute moments, like when one of the young witches casually eats a bug caught in a spider’s web, and the spider shakes its fist at her. I also love the moment when one pony goes back to warn the others that the Smooze is coming. A pony responds enthusiastically: “What’s smooze? Will we like it? Is it something nice?” That, of course, reminds me a bit of how Pinkie Pie might respond.

Also, the film looks great. It’s been newly restored, and the colors are bright and attractive (something Hydia would hate). Flutter Valley in particular looks beautiful. And remember: “Unicorns are good luck. And good company too.”

Special Features

The DVD includes four sing-alongs: “Go It Alone,” “Another Rainbow,” “What Good Will Wishing Do?” and “Dirty Work,” with the lyrics on the screen.

My Little Pony: The Movie is scheduled to be released on DVD on January 27, 2015 through Shout! Factory.

DVD Review: A Five Star Life

A Five Star Life is sweet, often gentle and endearing film about a woman who works as an inspector of luxury hotels, but whose personal life might be somewhat lacking. The opening credits play over a scene of Irene (Margherita Buy) going about her work, donning white gloves to check for dust on the headboard and picture frames, and then checking things off the list on her computer. Then, after going through the motions of leaving, she immediately returns to the hotel lobby to speak with the hotel manager, clearly standard operating procedure (and an interesting detail). And though this posh hotel is located in Paris, the city has not been one of romance for Irene. You immediately get the sense that it’s all been work, even the moments when she wasn’t conducting her inspections.

She then returns home to an immaculate and lonesome, even cold, apartment, and goes to sleep by herself in the daylight. We soon learn that the only other two female inspectors have quit in order to pursue more family-oriented goals, and so Irene’s boss wants her to take over those women’s work. “More traveling, but more salary,” he tells her. Irene realizes she is the ideal hotel inspector because she doesn’t have a life of her own.

However, it’s not like she’s completely alone. The movie creates a more rounded and believable character than that. We see how happy Irene is with her two nieces, how natural she is with them, at least for short spurts. Though her sister points out that she doesn’t spend enough time with them. We also meet Andrea, Irene’s ex, who runs a kind of food basket operation, and for whom Irene still maintains affection. Irene is forced to take a more serious look at this friendship when Fabiana, Andrea’s girlfriend, becomes pregnant and Andrea’s priorities shift.

The film does an excellent job of establishing Irene’s character. While she is at work in Switzerland, the film cuts back and forth between her doing her work inside the hotel room and shots of the gorgeous terrain outside. Because of that scene, a later scene when she is out and about in Morocco hits us more strongly. Her changing desires are clear without the use of any dialogue. She is character that we like a lot, particularly when she stands up to a hotel manager on behalf of a young couple who weren’t treated with the respect shown other customers.

There are some sweet, funny moments, like when Irene reads her report on a hotel as if it’s a novel she’s working on. But I also love that the film is serious, and takes into account the complications of life and relationships. Irene meets Kate (played by the always-wonderful Lesley Manville), who gives her a fresh perspective on the world in which Irene spends much of her time, the so-called luxury and opulence, and makes her look more critically at the way she herself is living.

Special Features

The DVD includes some bonus material, including Behind The Scenes Of A Five Star Life, nine minutes of footage from the production (but without any interviews with cast or crew). There are also five minutes of outtakes, including some funny moments in the car, and one deleted scene. The DVD also includes two trailers for the film.

A Five Star Life was released on DVD on November 4, 2014 through Music Box Films. It is presented in Italian, with English subtitles.

DVD Review: Altina

Altina is a documentary on Altina Schinasi, an artist who created the famous harlequin eyeglasses. Altina is largely allowed to tell her own tale, with this film centering on interviews conducted with her in 1991. She is really able to weave a good tale herself, making outside narration and title cards unnecessary. For example, early in the film, while talking about her parents and her sisters, she says: “Once a year, we gave a play, and that was the big event of the year. And my oldest sister, who was very beautiful, played the heroine. And my middle sister played the witch, and she turned out to be a witch. And I played the hero, the boy. I wanted very badly to be a boy. I used to stand in front of the mirror and I’d close my eyes and say when I open my eyes I’m going to be a boy. Well, of course it never happened.”

The film focuses on her life, only sometimes getting into the details of her art. Perhaps its one failing is that it really doesn’t give much information on just when and how she got started in the artistic field. But her life is so interesting, and she’s such a good storyteller, that we don’t really mind that one thing lacking. She does, of course, talk about designing her famous glasses, using harlequin masks as inspiration, and about her early attempts to sell them. The film presents several photos of the glasses, as well as her other work. There is also footage from an episode of Good Morning America from 1979, in which she talked about her sculptures.

In addition to interviews with Altina herself, the film fills out the story by presenting the perspectives of family members, including her son Terry Sanders, her niece Laurette de Moro, her nephew Richard Pini, her stepdaughter Teresa Carey, and her third and fourth husbands. The film was directed by Altina’s grandson, Peter Sanders, which really helps to give the film an intimate feel, like a family project that you’ve been invited to observe.

The story of her life is in some ways the story of this country in the twentieth century, it being connected to some of the major events and people of recent history. And because of that, there is some old news footage mixed in, such as material from World War II and the McCarthy witch hunts, and footage of Martin Luther King. But mainly it is Altina herself who tells us her story, and it is she herself that keeps us interested.

Special Features

The DVD contains a couple of bonus features. Reflections On Altina contains more footage from the interviews with Altina, in which she talks about how her sisters didn’t like her all that much, and about not speaking ill of people, and she recounts the meeting between her first and second husbands. This feature also contains more from interviews with other artists and with family members. Reflections On Altina is approximately nineteen minutes.

There is also a photo and art gallery, which is approximately three minutes long.

Altina was released on DVD on December 16, 2014 through First Run Features.

DVD Review: Mentor

Several films in recent years have dealt with the issue of bullying in U.S. schools, perhaps the most well-known being 2011’s Bully. Mentor is different in that it focuses specifically on two families who suffered the loss of teenagers due to bullying in Mentor, Ohio, a town that was rated one of the best places to live.

The film eases into its subject, letting friends and family of the two students give us a background on who they were before delving into the bullying. Sladjana Vidovic and Eric Mohat, two students at Mentor High School, both took their own lives after being bullied. Eric’s parents weren’t aware of the extent of the bullying until after Eric’s death (Jan Mohat, Eric’s mother, says she learned at her son’s funeral that he had been bullied on a daily basis), but Sladjana’s family was not only aware of what was happening, but had turned to those at the school multiple times in an effort to have it stopped.

Suzana Vidovic, Sladjana’s sister, says they were teased about their clothes and their ethnicity. Dragan, Sladjana’s father, says Sladjana was accused of being a lesbian. She was tormented in the cafeteria to the point where she began eating her lunch in the stall of the bathroom, and was pushed down a flight of stairs by a football player (who was then not suspended for even one game). She was not only bullied at school, but received threatening phone messages at home. Her mother even went to the principal to see about having her transferred. The school administration’s position was that there was no bullying at the school. Dorothy Espelage, an expert on bullying, reports that the school did not follow its own stated polices on bullying.

The film shows us evidence that in Sladjana’s case the school knew something was terribly wrong and took no steps to rectify the situation. Especially hard-hitting are the shots of the nurse’s log with Sladjana signing in so often (4/29/08, 5/2/08, 5/7/08, 5/12/08, 5/13/08, 5/19/08, and so on). How could they pretend not to see there was trouble? Even more troubling is that after Sladjana’s death, the school records regarding the instances of bullying were destroyed.

Both families filed a lawsuit against the school, and this documentary covers some of that territory as well, with interviews with Ken Myers, the attorney representing both families. Much of what this film reveals is infuriating. For example, the bullying continued at Sladjana’s funeral. The bullies attended the service, laughed in front of her family, and then posted crude comments online afterwards. That is shocking, that there was no remorse, no guilt, no sense of responsibility. And I can’t help but want horrible things to happen to those kids, can’t help but hope that they suffer terrible tragedies for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps most disgusting of all is the community’s response, which is to maintain that there is no trouble, or to ignore it. Jan and Bill Mohat even lost friends over their lawsuit. And you have to wonder, what exactly will it take to enact some serious change in this community? Let’s hope this film will get things moving in that direction.

Mentor was directed by Alix Lambert, and was released on DVD on December 16, 2014 through Garden Thieves Pictures. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: Fagbug Nation

Fagbug Nation immediately addresses the possibly off-putting title by opening with a shot of a man saying he’s Jewish “and we would never drive, like, a kikebug.” Fagbug Nation is the sequel to the 2009 documentary Fagbug, and uses news footage about that first film to help explain the title. Erin Davies’ Volkswagen Beetle was vandalized in 2007, with someone writing “fag” and “U R gay” on it. She left the graffiti on the car “to show a visual example of what homophobia looks like to people who may never have experienced it,” she says. She took the car on a road trip, and that became the first film. She has since become a motivational speaker, telling her story in schools and businesses.

But she felt her road trip was unfinished, as she hadn’t reached Hawaii or Alaska. And so Fagbug Nation is about her efforts to complete that goal, including shipping the car by boat to Hawaii. It documents necessary car repairs, as well as things people have done to her car, like writing “Faggets Dikes Need to Die” on the window. And yes, she points out that the moron failed to spell either “faggots” or “dykes” correctly, an indication of the low level of intelligence possessed by bigots. She also reads notes that were left on her car, as well as emails she has received, and she films reactions of people in different cities. We see lots of folks taking photos of the car.

None of this, however, seems like enough to warrant a second film. Fortunately, the subject does broaden beyond just the car and Erin’s story to include stories from other gay and bisexual people, covering such topics as gay marriage and bullying. And these stories feel to be more at the heart of the matter. For example, there is the woman who talks about how her aunt got a restraining order against her in fear that her presence would turn her young cousins gay. And the footage of the young boy talking about suicide is heart-wrenching. And I like the rainbow house across the street from that hateful church.

There is also some interesting stuff from Erin’s own life, including footage and stills of her wedding. Erin’s story of being fired from a teaching position after revealing that she was gay is interesting and infuriating. Once she gets her car from Hawaii to Washington, the film becomes more of a road trip movie through Canada into Alaska. But really the film is about awareness for gay rights.

Special Features

The DVD includes a music video for “P.S. Gay Car” by Fortress Of Attitude, as well as the film’s trailer.

Fagbug Nation was directed by Erin Davies, and was released on DVD on December 2, 2014 through Garden Thieves Pictures.

DVD Review: Hart To Hart: The Complete Third Season

Hart To Hart is a series about Jonathan Hart (a self-made millionaire, as Max tells us in the opening sequence to the show) and his wife Jennifer, a couple whom murder seems to follow wherever they go, be it Chicago or Hawaii or Acapulco or France. This series was created by Sidney Sheldon, and stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as the couple, and Lionel Stander as Max, their friend and employee. Even the opening sequence is delight, with Max saying, “When they met, it was murder.” The Complete Third Season includes twenty-four episodes on six discs.

This show is a lot of fun, though many of the plot lines are on the goofy side. And there is some clunky dialogue. This line from the first episode is probably the worst: “Something tells me that the competition can be very competitive.” (Although this line from a song at the beginning of the second episode rivals it: “There’s love in the air, and that’s nice.”) But even when you’re shaking your head at the plot or at some of the dialogue, there is a smile on your face. And a lot of that is due to the chemistry of the two leads. One thing I really like about this series is that it allows for tender and honest moments between Jonathan and Jennifer. These moments are part of what makes them believable as a couple, and part of what makes the series enjoyable.

And long before the current series Hart Of Dixie existed, Hart To Hart used the same joke in the episode titled “Deep In The Hart Of Dixieland.” Most of the episodes’ titles are plays on “heart,” such as “Hartbreak Kid” and “My Hart Belongs To Daddy.” There is even one titled “Hart Of Darkness,” in which a substitute pool man puts a chemical in the Harts’ pool, temporarily blinding Jonathan. The man then torments Jonathan by moving furniture around in his hospital room. This episode features an incorrect Shakespeare reference (Shakespeare did not write “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned,” as Lt. Grey claims; that was William Congreve, and the line is actually a bit different) and some excellent guest stars. That’s Ed Harris as the man out to harm Jonathan. David Paymer plays an orderly. And John Anderson plays a character named Jim Blye.

There are several other interesting guest appearances in these episodes. “Rhinestone Harts” features appearances by Robert Englund (yes, Freddy Krueger) as Buddy Kilgore, and Mickey Jones (who has played drums for Bob Dylan) as an announcer at a country bar. Steve Allen makes an appearance as himself in “Deep In The Hart Of Dixieland,” a very enjoyable episode with some great music. And “My Hart Belongs To Daddy” guest stars Ray Milland as Jennifer’s father. That’s a really good episode, involving the OSS and the son of a Nazi war criminal. Plus, it has this line: “Some people can liven up a room just by leaving it.”

“Hartland Express” is one of my favorite episodes, partly because Florence Henderson guest stars, partly because there’s a shot of a Cubs game, but mostly because Stefanie Powers looks tremendous in that lynx coat. And mysteries are always better on a train. (Speaking of mysteries, the lynx coat disappears after the first couple of scenes. Whenever Jennifer Hart opens her closet on the train, it should be there, but it’s not.) Then in “What Becomes A Murder Most,” Jennifer Hart is working on a campaign for a fake fur company. She says it’s an important campaign, but she just wore a lynx in the previous episode, so I’m not sure when it became important to her. The best line of this episode is by Laura Bancroft: “Now you see how simple and sweet everything is once I get my own way.” Carrie Nye is fantastic as Laura Bancroft. But her death is so stupid, as it would be easy for her to get away or at least call for help, but she just stands there waiting for the killer to get to her. I love later when the killer mails some photos. He’s very careful not to leave any fingerprints, but then he licks the envelope. Whoops!

Trouble follows the Harts everywhere, even underwater, as “From The Depths Of My Hart” shows. They go scuba diving to test some underwater camera equipment. This is a fun episode, with lots of underwater footage, a reference to Jaws II, and even a chase on ATVs. Those still look like fun (though they use the more-dangerous three-wheel types). This episode has maybe the best dismissal ever from the villain to his cronies: “Now get out of here. You’ve made me tired.”

“Harts And Palms” is another fun episode that begins with a car chase and includes a restaurant run by monks who have taken a vow of silence. Just try asking them about the day’s specials. This episode stars a young Jonathan Frakes (a few years before he’d join the crew of the Enterprise), and it takes at least one surprising turn. I love it when the Harts go after a bad guy themselves rather than calling the police, because it leads to a second car chase. Though they really shouldn’t park their rental in front of a fire hydrant.

And I can’t help but love “The Harts Strike Out,” because it opens with a shot of a Red Sox jersey, while a slow instrumental version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” plays, and later has a shot of a Ted Williams baseball card. And the owner of a sports memorabilia shop is wearing a Red Sox cap. (Interestingly, it’s the second episode in a row to refer to the 1977 World Series.)

“Harts Under Glass” is a really good and delightfully odd episode, guest starring John Dehner as the reclusive Dodsworth Nash, who wishes to add Jennifer Hart to his collection. But it does have two major problems: 1. Jonathan fails to tell Max how to open the glass case even after he saw another guy do it; and 2. The unbreakable glass shatters when it falls a few inches to the floor. The only episode that should be skipped entirely is “Murder Up Their Sleeve.” Every moment of this one is incredibly, shockingly stupid. But the rest are worth watching.

Hart To Hart: The Complete Third Season is scheduled to be released on December 9, 2014 through Shout! Factory. The DVD does not contain any special features.