DVD Review: Theresa Is A Mother

Theresa Is A Mother is a dramatic comedy about a woman who is forced to move back in with her parents while she tries to get her life back together. It stars C. Fraser Press as Theresa McDermott, aspiring singer/songwriter and mother of three, who is unable to pay the rent on her city apartment.

When the film begins, Theresa is at an open mic at a laundromat. “Why are you so fluent at being incoherent?” she sings, hitting the line hard to show the crowd she thinks it’s something special (and that they should too). It then cuts to her at home, where her daughter Tuesday is watching a religious cooking program (which is hilarious), while in the background Theresa is being evicted over the phone. Maggie, her oldest daughter, is trying to learn a song by watching a video online. So clearly this is a musical family…of sorts. Maggie is so bloody funny as she tries to figure out the lyrics to the song. The youngest daughter, Penelope, is too young yet for school, but is funny as she repeats stuff she hears her mother say on the phone. By the way, this movie is something of a family affair, for the three daughters are played by Schuyler Iona Press, Maeve Press and Amaya Press, and the film was directed by their parents, C. Fraser Press and Darren Press.

Theresa is forced to move back in with her parents, people she’s clearly avoided for a long time, for her children ask, “Where do they live?” and “Who is Grandma and Grandpa?” Her parents live in a small town out in the country, and they seem to have changed since Theresa last saw them, for now they’re throwing hot tub parties and such. Her parents are played by Edie McClurg (yes, Grace from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and Richard Poe (Gul Evek from Star Trek), and they deliver wonderful performances. There are some seriously funny moments with Penelope playing in the bathroom, and the way Theresa’s parents handle the child’s hyperactivity.

Things continue to not go Theresa’s way as she looks for a job in town (after two days, her parents tell her she can’t live with them forever), is forced to resort to a children’s bicycle for transportation after being stopped by the police, and has to deal with the people her parents have become. I love the moment when Theresa’s father says that he and her mother are happy, and Theresa asks, “Why?”

Theresa does finally get a job related to music – writing a song for a child’s bar mitzvah. The song is awesome, by the way. Also, this is the only movie I know to use the phrase “angry celery,” which is wonderful. Not everything works, however. There are some weak moments, like the pre-meal prayer that goes on too long. We’ve seen that before, and it’s never all that funny.

Though there are moments that had me laughing out loud, at its core the film is fairly serious, dealing with issues like pursuing one’s dreams versus attending to family obligations, communication among family members, dealing with the changes that life throws your way, and so on. And through brief flashbacks we get hints of a serious and tragic incident in the family’s past. This is a good film, populated by interesting characters that you’ll come to care about. And one more note regarding this film being a family affair: Schuyler Iona Press wrote and performed some of the music in it.

Theresa Is A Mother was directed by C. Fraser Press and Darren Press, and was released on DVD on September 29, 2015. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: Turned Towards The Sun

Turned Towards The Sun is a documentary film about Michael “Micky” Burn, M.C., a man who lived quite a remarkable life, as soldier, as poet, meeting some of the twentieth century’s most prominent people along the way. It opens with Micky in the hospital getting his hearing checked, and he begins talking about an event from World War II, which he says happened exactly sixty-six years earlier. At the time this was shot, he was ninety-six years old. When asked about the secret to his longevity, Micky answers, “Always be in love, with either someone or something.” He recommends being enthusiastic about something, committed to something.

Micky Burn was a published poet, and the film does include footage of him reading passages from his poetry. But perhaps more significant is the part he played on the raid of Saint Nazaire during the second world war. And in this documentary he returns there to recount the events. The film uses some footage from an earlier documentary on the raid on St. Nazaire, featuring a somewhat younger Micky Burn (that documentary was made in 1973). There is also German footage of the capture of Micky and other soldiers involved in the raid. Micky Burn ended up as a prisoner of war, held in Colditz Castle for three years. And in this film, he returns there as well, and we see the secret radio room, where Burn and others had kept abreast of events by listening to the BBC.

Fortunately for us, Micky saved everything, including letters from people like Bertrand Russell and Merle Oberon, and old photos, including one of him with friends outside the Nazi Party Headquarters in Berlin in 1935. He and his friend James are shown going through his possessions, organizing them. Micky Burn is well aware that he is nearing the end of his life, and at one moment points to a record, saying he wants it played at his funeral. He has many fascinating stories, like sending cigarettes to a woman who traded them for penicillin for her daughter. That woman was Ella Von Heemstra, and her daughter was Audrey Hepburn. He finds letters written to him by Ella Van Heemstra, and says of her: “She was a great friend. You don’t have to say we were lovers, do you? It’s always assumed.”

Micky is truly endearing, as when he’s outside and says, “I bet I look old and tired and peevish.” And he speaks fairly opening about his homosexual experiences, including his affair with Guy Burgess. He speaks just as candidly about meeting Adolf Hitler. And I love the story of the stolen bullets on his way to Colditz. There is not really a strong narrative line in this documentary, but that kind of doesn’t matter, because you come to really like this guy, and it’s enjoyable to relive portions of his life with him. The title of the film, by the way, comes from Burn’s autobiography.

Special Features

The DVD contains nearly a half hour of bonus footage, including more footage at Saint Nazaire, plus footage of Micky reading some of his poetry, and a tour of his home.

Turned Towards The Sun was directed by Greg Olliver, and was released on DVD on December 15, 2015 through MVD Visual.

DVD Review: Slow Learners

Slow Learners is an absolutely wonderful comedy about two friends who decide to change their lives one summer and in the process lose sight of who they really are. It stars Adam Pally as Jeff and Sarah Burns as Anne, friends who work at a high school. But they’re not teachers. He is a guidance counselor (which is perfect), and she works in the library.

When the film opens, Jeff is on a first date with a woman he met through an online dating service. It’s not going well, and she wants to leave. He asks her straight out what it is about him that makes her disinterested, and her honest and mean answer is seriously funny. In part, she tells him: “You sort of look like you’re smelling something that doesn’t smell good, or like you’re like squinting even though you’re wearing glasses” and “You kinda look like a lesbian newscaster, because you’re effeminate, but not in a good way.” Meanwhile, Anne is getting a checkup after becoming nervous about STDs. Her doctor asks her routine questions, including if she’s had anal intercourse. Anne responds: “I don’t want to sound judgy. It’s not for everyone. It could be for me, maybe under the right circumstances. I’d have to be very relaxed, but I’m not like in an anal place.” She pauses, still considering it, then answers, “No.” Her deliver is spot-on and hilarious. And even though she’s there to get checked for STDs, we learn she hasn’t had sex in more than a year.

These are great introductions to these two awkward people. And of course I can’t help but like Anne because she almost immediately quotes Kurt Vonnegut, one of my two favorite writers (she quotes my other favorite, William Shakespeare, later on). Early in the film, Jeff’s parents suggest he should date Anne, something of course we think too. (By the way, his parents are played by Kevin Dunn and Marceline Hugot, two actors I’m always happy to see.) But Anne has a crush on Max (Reid Scott), Jeff’s handsome neighbor, who is in a book club with Jeff and two other awkward guys. The book club scene is truly funny too. It’s goofy, but somehow not so over-the-top that it becomes stupid or unbelievable.

Anyway, Jeff and Anne decide to make significant (though not admirable) changes in their lives. Sara says, “I want to be like, you know, one of those girls whose parents don’t want her to come home for Christmas.” And Jeff says he wants to be one of those guys who is likely to have sex in a public bathroom. But of course everyone is a little nuts in the world of this film (just like the real world, I suppose), like the woman at a party who tells Anne, “You know how it is when you love a man so much that you end up in jail for your love.” Anne is desperate enough that she’s ready to take this woman’s advice, as well as advice from daytime television programs. Uh-oh!

I was laughing aloud through much of this film. Plus, the movie has a lot of heart. As funny as it is, it’s also sweet. Both Adam Pally and Sarah Burns deliver excellent, hilarious and honest performances. One thing I really love about this film is that the people that Jeff and Anne date are actually nice people, while Jeff and Anne themselves become sort of the jerks. It’s a refreshing change from those films where you think the two friends should be together because inevitably the guy the female friend is interested in is a total bastard. One other thing: when they buy new clothes, I love Anne’s fuzzy sweater, even though she decides to return it.

Slow Learners was directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce, and was released on DVD on December 15, 2015. The DVD includes the film’s trailer.

DVD Review: Divide In Concord

Divide In Concord is a documentary about two women who fought a battle to ban the sale of single-serving plastic water bottles within the town limits of historic Concord, Massachusetts. The film begins, appropriately enough, with a quotation from Henry David Thoreau (a Concord citizen himself): “Water is the only drink for a wise man.”

When we meet Jean Hill, an elderly Concord resident, it at the 2010 annual town meeting, and she speaks to the council in favor of the plastic water bottle ban. The ban fails, and we see her again the following year attempting the same thing. And again, the measure fails to pass.  The film then follows Jean Hill and Jill Appel as they prepare for the 2012 town meeting. As Jean goes door-to-door to get signatures, she tells us, “I consider myself a warrior… and warriors have to be prepared for any enemy.” It’s kind of endearing to hear someone who seems to be a sweet elderly woman saying that. She and Jill are met with a lot of opposition, and the film does a good job of interviewing town residents and local merchants on both sides of the issue.

While it seems more of an emotional issue for Jean, who admittedly started this project after the death of her husband, when she needed something to fill her time and some place to direct her energy, some of the scientific reasoning for the ban is provided by Peter Nichol, a local science teacher. He gives us some information on the garbage in the ocean, such as the fact that plastic makes up ninety percent of the trash in the ocean, and that the plastic breaks down into tiny particles which are consumed by ocean life and thus introduced into the food chain.

It’s interesting that in Concord any citizen can bring a measure before the council. He or she only needs ten signatures. And that’s something else this documentary does well – painting a portrait of a community. You really get a feel for the town. There is some information on the town’s history, and footage of the Patriot’s Day reenactments. (And there is even a bit of footage shot at the Colonial Inn, where I’ve seen some really good folk concerts. One other music-related note: a Steal Your Face sticker is visible on the back passenger-side window of a car in one shot.)

Of course, the question that Jean Hill doesn’t seem to address is, What is the alternative to plastic bottles? There are hydration stations at the high school, which is cool, and some people are seen carrying refillable bottles, but Jean doesn’t offer a plan. There is some talk about how the water in Concord is clean, so residents can drink from the tap, unlike other areas of the country. (I was excited to hear someone use the word “bubbler,” a word that no one outside of central Massachusetts seems to know.) There’s a kind of heart-breaking moment when Jean is on a radio program via telephone and has trouble getting her point across. But that seems to be a general issue for her. She never says: “Look, I’m not out to ban water, as my opponents keep claiming, just the single-size plastic containers which are environmentally unsound.” But you do get caught up in her battle, in her cause. And regardless of where you stand on this issue, this film will at the very least get you thinking about your own consumption of water bottles.

Special Features

The DVD contains quite a lot of bonus footage, including more of the Patriot’s Day reenactment (one of the participants is interviewed), and some odd and totally delightful stuff concerning cheese. There is also an interview with Bill Montague who wrote Little Mouse, about a mouse that lived with Thoreau at Walden Pond. He takes us to the cemetery in Concord where Thoreau is buried (by the way, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott and Nathanial Hawthorne are also buried there, all in one section of the cemetery). There is also more with Tom Blanding, the Thoreau scholar. And there is footage of Jimmy Mazz and The Last Minute Men performing “Sugar Blues.” We are also treated to some of the residents’ perspectives on the bottle issue.

Divide In Concord was directed by Kris Kaczor, and was released on DVD on December 15, 2015 through First Run Features.

DVD Review: Tokyo Fiancée

Tokyo Fiancée is a sweet and touching film about a young woman named Amélie (played by Pauline Etienne) discovering herself in a foreign country that she hopes will adopt her as its own. At the beginning of the film, we see her walking through the streets of Tokyo, and through voice over narration she tells us: “I was twenty. I wanted to be Japanese, it was my sole ambition.” She was born in Japan, but her parents were Belgian, not Japanese, and her family returned home when she was five. Then, at the age of twenty, Amélie purchased a one-way ticket to Japan, and the film shows us her time there.

In addition to wanting to become Japanese, she wishes to become a writer. But for now, she gets a job teaching French. She has one pupil – a young, handsome Japanese man named Rinri (played by Taichi Inoue), who himself expresses a desire to become a Knight Templar. Ah, we all want to become something else, particularly at that age. We learn that he loves all things French the way she loves all things Japanese. The French lessons soon become a guided tour of Tokyo, with the pupil teaching as much as the teacher, and soon they are romantically involved.

Amélie is sweet, with a wide-eyed innocence and excitement, and that makes her instantly likeable. Even if her name were not Amélie, she would certainly remind you in some ways of the character from the film of that name. And this film has fanciful little jumps of imagination, like a brief shot of how things might turn out, before she determines, “No, that’s not how it’ll end.” And the morning after they first have sex, little hearts pop up all around her and she bursts into a song about her love for Japan (while wearing a T-shirt depicting the Japanese flag). The film has a light, playful tone, like when Rinri shows and demonstrates many of the unusual gadgets in his parents’ home.

And there are some beautiful images, like when she goes off to the mountains by herself. But then some of her leaps of imagination have a darker and surprisingly unsettling aspect, and the film does take on a more serious tone. The film never really strays from her side, so we see the world basically through her perspective. So when she is happy, the film feels light and delightful; and when she is confused or worried, we too feel concerned and at unease, like when she feels like an outsider with Rinri’s parents, and again at first among his friends.

This film features some wonderful performances, as well as a really good score.

Tokyo Fiancée was directed by Stefan Liberski, and was released on DVD on December 15, 2015 through First Run Features. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: Automan: The Complete Series

When the movie Tron came out in 1982, the special effects looked really cool. So why not take those effects and look and employ them in a television series? Automan first aired in 1983. It was produced by one of the same folks that gave us Tron, and lasted one season. Now those thirteen episodes are available on DVD in Automan: The Complete Series, a four-disc set from Shout! Factory, which includes bonus material. Automan stars Desi Arnaz, Jr. as Walter Nebicher, a computer expert with the police force, and Chuck Wagner as Automan, a hologram that Walter created. It also stars Heather McNair, Gerald S. O’Loughlin and Robert Lansing.

Automan was created by Glen A. Larson the same year he created Manimal (which was also recently released on DVD), Masquerade and Trauma Center (he was certainly a busy boy), none of which would see a second season. I had never seen this show before, so there was no nostalgic value for me, as there was with Manimal. Yet I seriously enjoyed it. It’s actually a much better show, and has a fun, light tone. Part of the fun is in the character of Cursor, who is a computer-generated light that appears just before Automan shows up, and is, as Heather McNair says in an interview, “a little, naughty Tinkerbell.” Cursor is able to create any image that Walter and Automan require, including a computer-generated car that is able to take ninety-degree turns, as in Tron.

Automan himself is something of a flirt, charming other computers to get his way. Like in the pilot, when he talks to the traffic light, who responds like a lover; or when he talks to a slot machine at a casino in the second episode. Those are some of the series’ most delightful moments. And it’s not just computers that succumb to Automan’s charms, but women as well. There is a really funny moment in the first episode when Walter’s landlady flirts with him.

The series’ pilot, which was written by Glen A. Larson, is feature-length. In the opening titles sequence, you can see a poster of Heather Thomas (I had that exact poster on my wall at the time). There is a brief narrated segment at the beginning (which would be included in all thirteen episodes), in which Automan gives the audience an introduction: “This is the true story of Walter Nebicher, doing what he likes best –fighting crime on the streets. You see, Walter is a policeman. Unfortunately, the chief doesn’t want Walter on the streets. So Walter must fight crime in his own way, in the computer room. That’s where he’s an expert.” Walter is a bit of loner, whose computer expertise isn’t truly appreciated by the rest of the department. This is in the early 1980s, remember, when computers were not yet so widely in use. There are quite a few wonderful guest stars in the first episode, including Patrick McNee, Doug McClure, Sid Haig and Mickey Jones. Sid Haig plays a hoodlum at a bar who hits on Roxanne. He is perfect and hilarious when he tells her, “As a matter of fact, I’ve got great news: I’m in love.”

There are plenty of notable guest stars throughout the series. The third episode, “The Great Pretender,” features the always-wonderful Clu Gulager as Rudy Brock, a criminal who is planning his wedding to the daughter of a former congressman. There is a really good scene where his fiancée sort of confronts him with something she’s heard about his past, and he manages to not tell her the truth while also not lying to her – a nice touch, him not lying to her, for it shows the human side of his character. One odd thing about this episode is that it has a scene where a cab driver has a bomb in his car and makes an excuse to leave, while leaving our heroes trapped in the back seat. That exact scene is also in an episode of Manimal. And here’s the most interesting thing: the cab driver in both shows is played by the same actor: Talbot Simons. An interesting connection between the two series. Both Billy Drago and Richard Anderson appear in the episode “Renegade Run,” one of the goofiest and most enjoyable episodes. One of the most interesting guest appearances is by Laura Branigan as a singer named Jesse Cole. She is shown recording a music video for the song “Hot Night,” a song that would also be in Ghostbusters. Laura Branigan flirts with Automan, who has become a fan. Automan says, “You don’t have to be human to want to get down and boogie.” Besides “Hot Night,” she sings “Gloria” and “Satisfaction.” It’s odd, because she’s playing a character named Jesse, so it’s like Laura playing Jesse who is covering Laura.

And then in the very next episode, Michelle Phillips is a guest star (and in her first scene, she wears a sexy lynx coat), playing an actor named Veronica Everly. This is perhaps my favorite episode. After Automan gets a small part in a film, he asks, “What’s an agent?” The director tells him, “Like a vampire, with a telephone.” And then in “Zippers,” John “And-that-foot-is-me” Vernon is the guest star. And Automan finally comes across a computer that doesn’t succumb to his charms.

There is some good dialogue in this series. Like in the first episode, one criminal says, “Are you trying to commit suicide?” The other responds, “Well, it might be the best way out, but I think I’ll settle for getting drunk instead.” In the fifth episode Rachel (played by Delta Burke) says: “I think I know where we can find the answers to a lot of our questions. Are you game?” Automan answers, “Well, I started off as one.” And in the eighth episode, when Lt. Curtis takes his first ride in the computer car, he says, “Didn’t you ever hear of the speed limit?” Automan answers: “Certainly. It just doesn’t apply to me.” And there are several references to video games of the time. Automan at one point says, “Pac-Man, we’re close friends.” And in the final episode, Walter says to Automan, “For someone who can trace his family tree back to Pong, I’d think you’d have a little more appreciation for games.”

Special Features

This four-disc set contains some special features, all on the fourth disc. Calling Automan: The Auto Feature is a forty-two-minute feature, which includes interviews with cast members Chuck Wagner, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Heather McNair, as well a little bit with series creator Glen A. Larson. The actors talk about getting their roles, about their characters and about Cursor. Desi Arnaz Jr. talks about Michelle Phillips being a guest star and about his own group having opened for The Mamas And The Papas. They also talk about Laura Branigan and some of the other guest stars.

In addition, there is The Story Of Automan, which is a short printed bit about the show, and Feature Story, which is a promotional bit from the time of the show’s initial run. There are also cast and crew biographies, two photo galleries, and a trailer for Manimal.

Automan: The Complete Series was released on DVD on November 10, 2015 through Shout! Factory.

DVD Review: Fulboy

Fulboy is a documentary that captures the lives of soccer players off the field. Filmmaker Martín Farina dedicates it to his brother Tomás, who is one of the players depicted in the film, and the reason Martín was allowed such access to the players. He inserts himself into the film at various points as narrator, at the beginning telling us, “To think that I wanted to be a football player and I ended up making movies.” He introduces us to his brother Tomás, “a real football player,” and I can’t help but wonder if his admiration is tinged with just a bit of envy. But he tells us his intention is to show the things that aren’t shown on television – the locker rooms, the meetings and so on.

Because it’s put out by TLA Releasing, you might expect a lot of homoerotic content – and there are some shots of the players in the shower, and a shot of a player in purple briefs wrestling with another player in bed – but this documentary does not focus on sexual content at all. And it is interesting how the filmmaker deliberately stays away from images of the actual game (though there is a nice shot of children taunting players during a game, shouting that they should be playing cards instead of soccer – the camera stays close on them, not turning toward the game at all).

While showering, the players act macho, bragging about goals and so on. But you can’t help but speculate how much of an effect the presence of the camera has on the conversation. Do they really go on like that while showering? Maybe they do. And there is footage of them talking about being filmed, about how it’s real and not real, for it’s not the full reality. But of course it isn’t. No one expects a documentary to be the full reality of a subject. And for a while, the subject of this film isn’t football at all; the subject of the film is the film itself. And in a way that’s interesting, that these soccer players discuss the nature of film, and how it represents or distorts reality. And this film in particular certainly shapes its reality, in that it uses lots of extreme close-ups of actions, so that our focus is concentrated, and we aren’t allowed to take in the surroundings and choose what to focus on. Some of those close-up images are really interesting, and well-framed.

But of course the players do talk about the game. One of the players speaks directly to the camera about the sacrifices that professional athletes make, the hard work that goes into their careers, which he believes most people aren’t aware of. And he asks us directly to value what they do, because it’s difficult. The players also talk about finding new teams to play for, and about contracts and so on. And there is some interesting footage of the players listening to a life insurance pitch.

But at times, the filmmaker seems to treat his subject more seriously than it perhaps deserves. At one point, he says: “The hotel where the players get together is also a prison. While the players have to stay inside together, in the neighboring building, there are construction workers enjoying the open air.” Enjoying the open air? I’m sure those construction workers have a much different perspective on that. Plus, are the players really held in the hotels against their wills? I don’t think so. But that would certainly be interesting if it were the case.

Special Features

The DVD includes Tomás The Defender, a short film without any dialogue. It is a series of images of the filmmaker’s brother, set to music. Shots of him showering and shots of him in his underwear have me wondering just how far Martín’s interest in his brother goes. The DVD also includes the film’s trailer.

Fulboy was directed by Martín Farina, and was released on DVD on September 22, 2015 through TLA Releasing. It is presented in its original Spanish, with English subtitles.

DVD Review: My Little Pony Equestria Girls Box Set

Bronies and Pegasisters, the new My Little Pony Equestria Girls box set contains three feature-length animated films, including a new film, Friendship Games. The other two films, Equestria Girls and Rainbow Rocks, have been released previously, but now all three are available in one box, along with plenty of bonus material. So join Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Sunset Shimmer and Spike in three adventures in their alternate reality.

Friendship Games

The new film, Friendship Games, finds the teenage versions of our favorite ponies getting ready for a series of games against their rival high school. Sunset Shimmer is writing a letter to Twilight Sparkle in Equestria, when a mysterious character starts investigating the portal between the two worlds. Sunset loses her, but we’re allowed to follow her back to the rival school, and we learn she is this reality’s Twilight Sparkle. In this world, she is some kind of science wizard, but also a loner.

Rarity has some of the best moments in this film. Early on she says: “I have no interest in another fight against the powers of evil magic. The wear and tear on my wardrobe is just too much to keep up with.” Fluttershy soon says, “Not everything has to be magical to be important.” That’s true. But something unusual is happening with their magic in this world. Each of the ponies has a touch of magic when getting excited about the thing she loves doing most, but then is suddenly drained of energy. What’s up? Could this world’s Twilight Sparkle be responsible?

There are, of course, several songs in the film. Rainbow Dash sings one to inspire her school before the games. Twilight sings a song about being ready to move on. And there is a song about competition as the games get underway. But the best song by far is the one sung by the principal to Twilight, when she convinces her to unleash magic to win the games. It’s wonderful. (And perhaps I’m mad, but a section of this reminds me a bit of “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago.) I’m surprised that the schools in this reality have Motocross. If yours doesn’t, and you feel bad about it, just remember the words of Fluttershy: “Holding a bunny always makes me feel better.” Friendship Games was written by Josh Haber, and directed by Ishi Rudell.

Special Features

This disc includes a commentary track by Brian Lenard, Josh Haber, Daniel Ingram, Jayson Thiessen, Ishi Rudell, and Rebecca Dart. They talk a bit about the change in Sunset Shimmer’s design, and about the cool creative opening title sequence. There are also several deleted scenes, with optional commentary. These scenes offer more about Sunset Shimmer and her desire to return to Equestria, and include an alternate ending. There are also a few short films related to the feature, including Pinkie Spy, in which Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash check out the competition for the games. That includes a cute moment when Pinkie Pie lowers a boom microphone into the shot. All’s Fair In Love And Friendship Games is about two best friends suddenly becoming competitive. Photo Finished is about the photographer for the yearbook, and is delightfully goofy. A Banner Day is about the creation of a welcome sign for the rival school. And The Science Of Magic is about Sunset Shimmer working to solve the mystery of how magic works in this reality. And of course there are three sing-alongs, though sadly my favorite song is not one of them.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is the first of the three full-length animated feature films, in which Twilight Sparkle has to pass through a magic mirror into an alternate world in order to retrieve her magic crown and protect Equestria. Sunset Shimmer sneaks into Twilight’s room at night and steals her crown and element of harmony, and then disappears with them through the mirror. Twilight Sparkle must perform the task of regaining the crown alone, and has limited time. Of course, Spike rushes in after her. In the alternate world, Spike is a dog, and Twilight Sparkle is a teenage girl, through still of a purplish hue. She was having trouble getting used to her wings; now she has to get used to walking on two legs. But perhaps an even bigger challenge is getting along without magic, as she has no horn.

Soon she meets the alternate versions of Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Other characters from Equestria have their counterparts in this world as well, including Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. The film has several musical numbers, the first being about learning to adapt to a new world (like any kid going to a new school). Twilight sings, “Everything’s confusing when it seems so new.” Later the girls perform a musical number in the school cafeteria as they try to unite everyone behind Twilight. And the theme of the magic of friendship is addressed. In this one, Twilight sings, “I’m gonna be myself no matter what I do/And if we’re different, then I want you to be true to you.” A good message. Later there’s actually a musical montage of the girls getting the gym ready for the formal dance, and then a musical montage of the girls getting dressed. Wow, the film uses not one but both of the major 1980s montage themes.

Special Features

This DVD has a few special features, including Through The Mirror, which is a making-of feature. It is divided into three parts. The first part is about the story and the concept of this film, as well as some similarities to The Wizard Of Oz, and about the new character, Sunset Shimmer. The second part is about the design of the film. There are interviews with Ridd Sorensen (art director), Mike Vogel, Jayson Thiessen, Tara Strong, Meghan McCarthy and Kora Kosicka (a character designer). The third part features an interview with song writer Daniel Ingram, who talks about giving the songs a more modern feel than those in the television series. The bonus features also include two karaoke songs: “Cafeteria Song” and “Friends For Life.” The vocals are taken out, so you can add your own. There is also something called “Ponify Yourself,” but I actually have no idea what this one-minute snippet is supposed to be.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

In Rainbow Rocks, the students of Canterlot High School are planning a musical showcase to raise money to help fund after-school programs. The girls have a band, and sing about being friends, and magic happens when they play; they gain some of the properties of their parallel pony selves. The girls are now friends with Sunset Shimmer, though when Sunset Shimmer says, “The old me really was just awful, wasn’t she,” all the girls agree. And I especially love Pinkie Pie’s joyous, “Yup!”

The three sirens want their true equestrian magic back, and they change the musical showcase to a battle of the bands, turning the event into a competition and breeding animosity among classmates, which then fuels their own power. They cast a spell on all the students and even the faculty of Canterlot High – with the exceptions of our heroes, who soon realize something is wrong.  There are some really nice moments in this film. Pinkie Pie’s antics make me laugh, like when she explains Twilight’s idea of creating another portal to the human world. The girls realize they have to combat the sirens’ spell with a musical spell of their own, leading to a great moment when Pinkie Pie tries to get Twilight to play the theremin. But the climactic battle of the bands sequence goes on for a long time, and doesn’t have as much charm as the other scenes. (Also, it reminds of that awful battle of the bands sequence from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.)

Special Features

The DVD includes a commentary track by Michael Vogel (VP of development at Hasbro Studios), Brian Lenard (executive director at Hasbro Studios), Meghan McCarthy (screenwriter of Rainbow Rocks), Jayson Thiessen (supervising director of Rainbow Rocks) and Ishi Rudell (co-director of Rainbow Rocks). There are also eight shorts that act as prequels to the film. Three of them are seriously good. A Case For The Bass is a cute and funny short in which Apple Jack tries to get her bass back after Granny accidentally sells it to the owners of a second-hand shop. Hamstocalypse Now is probably my favorite. In this one, Rarity attempts to help Fluttershy with hamsters, and we all learn that hamsters like the tambourine. The third one that I really like is Pinkie On The One, in which Pinkie Pie helps Rainbow Dash find a drummer for the band. It’s absolutely adorable. Of the others, three are basically music videos. The special features also include three sing-alongs, to the songs “Better Than Ever,” “Battle” and “Rainbooms Battle,” with the lyrics at the bottom of the screen.

The My Little Pony Equestria Girls box set released on October 13, 2015 through Shout! Factory.

DVD Review: The Last House

The Last House is an odd little horror film about an escort who wants to quit the business, but who agrees to do one last job. It stars Lauren Walsh as Love, the escort, Ezra Buzzington as Hate, the creepy man who has hired her, and Jason Mewes as Ned, the guy who wants to take her away from that life. The story is not presented chronologically, but rather frequently moves back and forth through time, covering three general periods – before the job, during the job, and the morning after the job.

It opens with Ned telling his regular hooker, Love, that he wants to take her home to meet his parents, and that he loves her. She says: “And I you. Like a brother. Like a brother that I fuck.” She then kisses him sweetly and tells him she’s just kidding. It then suddenly cuts to Love hanging from a ceiling, breaking free, and seeing two dead hookers on the floor. And just as suddenly we’re introduced to Hate, who seems to address us directly, waxing philosophical, asking us, “What is more important – how we got here, what we’re doing here, or where we go when we leave?”

It’s interesting, because before we even really meet Jenna and Hailey, the other two escorts, we know they’re going to die. And before we see them all arrive at the house, we know the guy who has hired them is a little nuts. So when Poot picks the girls up, and the scene is rather lighthearted, we’re already aware of some of the horror to come, and that colors our reaction to the scene. There are some nice little details. For example, on Poot’s car, there is a bumper sticker which reads, “I fucked your honor roll student,” which made me laugh. (By the way, Poot is played by Timothy Muskatell, and he turns in one of the film’s best performances.) And I love the line where the pimp regrets having not invested in some trannies.

When the girls arrive, the party is at first more discussion than action, with Hate, along with Selma and Cleb, sizing up the three women. Cleb seems something of a simpleton, and after Jenna remarks that he seems happy, Hate says to her, “Wait ‘til you see him crazy happy.” It’s a great delivery, with just the right amount of threat of something sinister, while also being humorous. And for you foot fetishists, there is a scene where two women suck on each other’s toes (plus, there is a bit of fun S&M). It’s interesting how overt are the psychological games between client and prostitute, a comment on the games that really are played in those artificial relationships. It’s interesting too that it is exactly this type of relationship that Ned and Love wish to make real, legitimate.

Well, it isn’t long before the sexy play turns nasty.

There is some bad dialogue in this film, like some of Hate’s lines, which seem like nonsense rather than eerie (“Ripples in a pond of chaos”). He acts like what he’s saying is profound, but it’s not. And because of the non-linear storytelling, we’re not all that invested in Ned’s ongoing search for Love. Because we’ve already seen her getting revenge, we don’t feel that she needs to be rescued by Ned. But there are some strange, interesting elements to Love’s revenge. And I love the strangulation scene.

Special Features

The DVD contains several special features, including a commentary track by director Sean Cain and writer Wes Laurie. They mention that Lauren Walsh won’t talk to them anymore, which is odd, and they talk about some footage they shot with the pregnant real estate agent which didn’t make it to the final cut (it’s also not included in the DVD’s deleted scenes). The special features do include two deleted scenes which expand the relationship of Ned and Love. In the first, they talk about video games, and in the second Ned surprises her at a hotel room. There is also footage from the movie’s premiere at the Gorezone UK film festival, including a panel with Sean Cain, and a short Q&A with Sean Cain and Wes Laurie.

The Last House was released on DVD on November 24, 2015 through Wild Eye Releasing.

DVD Review: The Storm Makers

The Storm Makers is a powerful documentary film about Cambodia’s human trafficking problem. As the film opens, we’re told: “Half a million Cambodians work abroad. A third of them have been sold as slaves, in Thailand, Malaysia or Taiwan.” Most are women, who work as maids and then are sold as prostitutes. The opening images are of women shipped on a truck, with wire over the windows.

We are then introduced to a poor family in Cambodia, seeing them collecting snails in muddy water, chopping wood, cooking, before learning who they are. The mother suddenly tells us: “I no longer have feelings for my daughter. Not since she had a child. My daughter is the only one who came back with a child. Some migrants die abroad, others come back mutilated. But she returned with this child. And now I have to take care of him… Sometimes I’d like her to sell him.” It’s kind of an amazing introduction. But what follows is even more powerful. There is footage of the mother and daughter arguing, as it was the mother who had sent her to Malaysia, where she was beaten and raped. The daughter tells her: “You prefer money to your children. Did you ever love me?” The mother calls her a “slut” and “worthless.” But more heart-rending than the argument is when the daughter says it’s too late for her to be angry. This young woman is the main focus of the film.

The film also introduces us to a man who owns an agency which recruits migrant workers. He tells some young recruits his story, saying, “I’m not trying to cheat you or impoverish you.” And then we see them paying for his dubious services. The man is surprisingly candid with us about what he does, saying: “I target the poorest ones. These people are easy to lure, to convince and to recruit.” Most are illiterate, and he tells us, “They have nothing to lose.” He promises them good salaries.

The film in large part goes back and forth between the young woman whose life has been ruined and the man whose life has been enriched by these actions. The young woman recounts the story of what happened to her in Malaysia. “I worked to exhaustion, but I was never paid.” She tells us how she was locked in, that her boss claimed he bought her from the agency, how he beat her. While she describes this incredible ordeal, we see her doing the most mundane of tasks, washing and scrubbing at home. She then tells us how she eventually ran away, only to be raped and kidnaped by another man until the police rescued her. The police arrested the man who raped her, but because the first man had stolen her passport, they arrested her as well. Her story is so heartbreaking and so infuriating, and yet she tells it with a quiet acceptance, her emotions not so much held in check as completely obliterated.

In contrast, we see the recruiter working out at a gym and going for a swim at a pool. The film also shows him going on to some new recruits about how he doesn’t lie because he believes in Jesus Christ. It seems strange that they would trust someone who keeps insisting he doesn’t lie. The film’s title comes from the human traffickers being referred to as “storm makers” because “When they arrive in a village, they bring the storm and tears with them.” The film doesn’t seem to judge (there’s no narrator present to condemn these actions), but rather just presents the situation, and partly because of that, it is all the more chilling.

The Storm Makers was directed by Guillaume Suon, and was released on DVD on November 24, 2015 through First Run Features. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: 1971

The documentary 1971 tells the story of several American citizens who broke into an FBI office in March of 1971, uncovering illegal activities done by that organization, and then sending the documents for publication. Title cards at the beginning tell us that the break-in “would lead to the first Congressional investigation of U.S. intelligence agencies in the country’s history” and that “The burglars were never caught.” Well, here some of them, including John and Bonnie Raines, recount the events. But this incredible documentary doesn’t just give us a point-by-point description of that night, but also delves into the results of that break-in, both in terms of the investigation and in subsequent behavior of the FBI as well as by the participants. It is a look at people who acted on what they believed was right, at great personal risk.

The film focuses on interviews with break-in participants John Raines, Bonnie Raines, Bob Williamson, Keith Forsyth and Bill Davidon. They give a bit of a background on what led them to this action, with John talking about how the events of 1968 made him “ready to make a transition from non-violent protest to non-violent disruption,” and Keith mentioning how the Jackson State killings by the police got him more involved: “I was done talking at that point.” They also describe their preparations for the break-in, including one of them learning how to pick locks. Bonnie was 29 at the time, but looked younger, so went into the office posing a college student curious about opportunities for women in the FBI in order to scope out the site. (This is shown in a re-enactment. The film does use some re-enactments, but does not rely on them too heavily.) They chose the date of March 8th, because it was the night of the big fight between Mohammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and they thought people would be focused on that. Interestingly, one of the nine people dropped out before the break-in, which understandably made the others nervous. The ninth person later showed up at John and Bonnie’s home, saying he was thinking about turning them in. There were other dangers too. John tells us: “No one knew that every photocopying machine has its own signature. And the Xerox people knew exactly which machine made that copy. J. Edgar Hoover demanded that they reveal which machines these were.”

The film also features an interview with Betty Medsger, the journalist for the Washington Post who received the documents in the mail. Also interviewed are Terry Neist, a former FBI agent who talks about infiltrating anti-war groups and “trying to wreck the groups that were trying to wreck the country,” as well as some historians and journalists. The film includes footage regarding the investigation, including footage of Anne Flitcraft describing how the FBI broke into her home and stole her typewriter and books, as she was a suspect. There is some great footage of a street fair in which folks sing “The FBI Is Coming To Town” (to the tune of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”). The film also includes material on the Camden action, in which both Bob and Keith were involved. Also fascinating is the interview with former NBC reporter Carl Stern regarding the Freedom Of Information Act and COINTELPRO.

This film is interesting for the story it tells, both the break-in and the way the government went about its investigation. But it’s also particularly interesting now with regards to our current political situation, and the way both the government and the media handle dissent and privacy issues. A title card at the end does mention how after the attacks on September 11th, the government broadened and expanded its surveillance, something people aren’t upset enough about, I feel.

Special Feature

The DVD includes Snowden On 1971, which is a panel on the film, featuring director Johanna Hamilton, Betty Medsger, John Raines, Bonnie Raines, Keith Forsyth and David Kairys, and moderated by Charles Lewis. Edward Snowden joins them via satellite. Betty Medsger recounts the day she received the package of the files and the actions she took in authenticating them. John Raines talks about how the FBI at that time was not held accountable, how J. Edgar Hoover was admired. The participants cover some of the same material they do in the film, going over the events of the break-in, but there is more about consulting the attorney, which is really interesting, especially as not much of that was in the film. They also talk about the decision to go public, and about the Camden 28. This features is approximately eighty-five minutes.

The DVD of 1971 was released on November 24, 2015 through First Run Features.