Schlockmeister Reviews (171)

Songcatcher (2000)

Could Have Been So Much More

[2 March 2003]

This movie started off well enough and showed promise of being an interesting movie about Appalachian music and culture. The discovery of English and Scots/Irish folksongs being preserved and sung in the mountains of the Appalachians had a lot of possibility. That is what should have been pursued instead of sinking into murky romance.

Since the story is entirely fictional anyway, why couldn't the circle of the story have been brought together by bringing Celtic musicians and these American musicians together? It would have been a better plot device if a romance developed between a Celtic musician and an American to illustrate the coming together of musical forms.

But what we have, as I said, starts off well enough, but forgets its direction and simply becomes a romance presented shakily at best. The fate of the work of Ms. Penlyric in the movie reflects the way the movie treats the music. Used for awhile and then destroyed.

The songs presented are the movies bright spots, I just wish there were more of them and the story might have stayed more on course.

Joe Dirt (2001)

Silly Fun

[10 February 2003]

For those not in touch with their inner eleven year old, I'd say pass on this one and maybe check out something by Merchant "The King Of Yuks" Ivory.

This is silly and unapologetically so. The comedy is broad, the jokes obvious and telegraphed from seven miles away. But it does work. Like "Little Nicky", you go in expecting to turn brain off and just enjoy.

The movie is the visual representation of what I picture whenever I dial the radio and come across one of those "Classic Rock" stations. Who listens to this stuff on a regular basis? Joe Dirt , who believes in the lyrics as gospel.

It's a take-off on the music, the hopefulness of the innocent (a real switch for David Spade, as he would normally be the detached smart-aleck we see the disk jockey Dennis Miller playing).

Some cameos to look for; Kevin Farley as a security guard , yep, it's Chris' brother and you'll recognize him along with the other Farley brother John as a cop. The three sorority girl radio listeners, one is Bree Turner, who has done a lot of stuff but will probably be more recognized for Hyundai commercials. Sopranos fans will appreciate a fun quickie cameo in this movie.

Lighten up, since when did we become a world of detached critics who can't just enjoy a movie anymore without disecting it to death. This movie never claimed to be a great film, just a fun one. Now a film like Mariah Carey's "Glitter" which claims to be great but ends up as garbage, that is a more worthy target.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Wonderful romantic fantasy

[17 January 2003]

What a wonderfully romantic fantasy this is! Audrey Hepburn is so perfect in her role as a princess who would like to see what is beyond the walls of her gilded cage. Gregory Peck as the reporter who really needs a scoop, and stumbles upon the biggest story of his life.

Rome is beautifully presented and is an uncredited co-star in this movie, it makes me want to see it, although I do realize that the Rome of 1953 is mostly long gone. Still, I can dream, and isn't that what movies are? Celluloid dreams.

Emotionally engaging, you really feel with the characters although you realize it is a fantasy. But the best fairy tales are like that. Bette Davis once said in answering the charge that movie stories are not real " If you want real, just sit on a street corner and look at people and see how long that holds your attention." No, we go to movies to escape "real", for a little bit and this movie does just that.

A top romance film, highly recommended.

Midnight Shadow (1939)

This must have been a B-Movie

[17 January 2003]

Another film from Sack Amusement Company, a distribution company that dealt with the black movie theatre circuit in the 30s and 40s.

A very forgettable mystery that had to have served as a B Movie, supporting a bigger name movie. The acting is generally of the obviously memorized and recited lines variety. By the time the mystery is solved most of the audience won't care, as the mystery has little suspense, the "comedy" falls flat and the ending is so lackluster.

A few notes on this one though. This kind of trivia is what maakes these movies interesting to me beyond the plots. John Criner, the man who played Prince Alihabad had a similar role as a travelling show Doctor in "The Duke Is Tops', he played Doctor Dorando there and it is a better showcase for his talent. Ruby Dandridge, who played Mrs. Lingley, was the mother of Dorothy Dandridge. This movie has the look of a mystery series, had "Lingley and Lightfoot" made a better movie, there may have been more. But Junior Lingley was little more than a bumbler mincing about, and Lightfoot's acting seemed to be majorly the wide-eyed scared black man role.

These "race" movies had such low budgets that it is amazing they did as much as they did with what they had to work with. There are other better movies out there in the genre, if this is the first movie you see of this type, don't be discouraged, there are more out there of far better quality.

A Very Honorable Guy (1934)

A Very Forgettable Movie

[17 January 2003]

The general impression I have of this movie is that it has a good cast but they are undercut by a script that seems wooden. As actors they either flew through this one without a second thought about it or they knew going in that the script was weak.

But they script has fun moments, enough to make this movie watchable, but it certainaly won't be one you will add to your list of favorites.

Some minor trivia on this movie, in the scene that shows a gossip column mention of Feet's attempt to sell his body to science, the by-line is by "Waldo Witchem", a sly take-off on real-life columnist Walter Winchell, who was a good friend of Damon Runyan, the man whos story this movie is based on. Winchell's name is mentioned in a few movies based on Runyon's stories. Alice White, who plays love interest Hortense was fresh from a major sex scandal that threatened her career. This movie was a come back attempt.

The story, as is the script is light. Feet Samuels is an honest man who loves to gamble. He ends of owing local mob boss, "The Brain" money and decides to sell his body to science to pay off his debt and also to impress his girl with material things. A mad doctor takes him up on the deal and in a month, Feet is to take a pill to end his life. Right after he makes the deal, his luck changes tremendously and he find himself in the predicament of going back on his word to the doctor and also the mob boss who underwrote his deal.

Again, this movie won't show up on any favorites list, but there are worse ways to waste an hour than by watching this.

Lady for a Day (1933)

Depression-Era Fairy Tale

[17 January 2003]

This movie must have played very well to depression-era audiences. The story of an apple seller who has been lying to her daughter who has done well for herself in Europe is sweet, heart touching and funny.

Great, quotable lines in the script, well written. The outdoors night photography is luminous, everything seems to glow, a scene in an outdoor garden with the daughter and her fiancee kissing behind a glass water fountain is beautiful to this day.

The ideas of friends and strangers coming to a needy person's aid prefigures such later Capra classics as "It's A Wonderful Life". In fact, they would make an excellent double feature together.

In our cynical times, movies like this can be seen as hokey, in fact the name Capra was frequently turned into Capra-corn, even in his day. But the fact that his movies are still treasured and enjoyed today shows that goodness is still an enduring quality and that being drawn to goodness and fairy tales like this gives us hope that those feelings are still in us.

Recommended highly.

Night Flight (1981–2018)

Groundbreaking Cult TV

[16 January 2003]

I realize it now. When it's 2am and I am flicking channels, skimming over the endless infomercials. I am looking for something, anything that might be as cool as Night Flight was. It was the most influential television show in my life, exposing me to so much that I am still interested in 20 years later.

This is the TV show that introduced so much of middle America to cult movies, punk rock, reggae, deconstructionist video, the Church of the Subgenius and so much more. Television had never been so anarchic and probably never will be again.

Highlights are showings of the silent short, "Mystery Of The Leaping Fish" with Douglas Fairbanks playing a drugged up detective named Coke Ennyday, showings of the reggae movie "Countryman" , Peter Ivers on "New Wave Theatre" presnting Punk bands from dingy clubs. Black & White cartoons, old commercials, showings of school films, atomic bomb scare films and anything they could find.

Sadly with the homogenization and demogrification of TV (as well as most media), we won't see a show like this again. Infomercials now rule the late-night landscape and it is apt to stay that way, informercials bring in income, shows like "Night Flight" only brought in viewers, and who cares about them anymore? And due to copyright infringements by the show, they were very casual about obtaining permission to air stuff on 'Night Flight' it will probably never be shown on repeats, not as it originally aired anyway. Those who saw it, enjoy your memories.

The Pig Keeper's Daughter (1972)

Country Lovin' Down In The Mud

[7 January 2003]

This movie follows the basic porn movie formula of just using plot to get to the next sex scene. In this case, this is one of Novak's several "Hee Haw" influenced country sex romps.

This was just before hardcore porn was seen in movie theatres so there were definate limits as to what would be shown. No erections, certainly no visible penetration, no visible oral sex, no open crotch shots. But barring all that, this film shows just about everything else, really pushing the line of softcore. Everything is simulated but I think this would be a movie that cable companies would balk at showing.

I am very much attracted to movies like this, they turn me on to see them. In thinking about why, I have decided that part of it is the lure of the forbidden, knowing the conditions these movies were originally shown in. They were considered to be "dirty movies" and there were stigmas attached to admitting you watched films like this. Another reason is the natural bodies, the less-than-perfect looks of the women. These are women you are far more likely to meet on a daily basis than siliconed porn stars. That certainly helps the fantasy along. Part of it too is the ineptness and general sleaziness of productions like this. They were made for the quick buck with no concern for anything beside an hour and a half of stimulation of the male sexual center in the brain. It is unapologetic in it's purpose. Yes, the acting is horrible, but once they remove their tops you know exactly why they were hired and all is forgiven until they have to speak again. It's like the girl from the neighbourhood who "puts out", you tolerate her personality and quirks because you know at the end of the evening that odds are you will get lucky.

Terry Gibson as daughter Moonbeam is adequate to her role, requiring her to mainly lay around near a pig sty and be a recepticle for the men who come by. Her breasts are wonders. Peggy Church as Patty plays the virgin who eventually gives it up to Jasper as long as he promises to just "tap it around her maidenhood". She has very unusual conical shaped breasts that are interesting to look at. It all plays like a locker rroom joke brought to life and is just as absurd. Gina Palucci plays Mrs. Molly Swiner, Moonbeam's mother and she is plain to look at and seems to think that lolling your tongue around your mouth almost constantly is the height of sexiness, but her body more than makes up for anything else.

Yes, it's a guilty pleasure recommendation. You know what you are getting into here if you decide to see this.

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

A thinking person's thriller.

[2 January 2003]

I think I have probably seen one or two complete X-Files episodes and scattered snatches of several others as I have flicked by as it played on a channel.I say that because even as little exposure to the series as I have had, I recognize stylistic influences from the X-files on this movie.

That said, the film does stand on it's own as a supernatural thriller and I enjoyed watching it. I had read the John Keel book years ago and knew this film was "based" on the book so it would take what liberties it needed to to tell a good story.

I read here over and over again that a complaint is that the viewers never got to see the boogieman. I am perhaps old-fashioned in that I believe that less is more as far as horror movies go. My imagination is quite active enough to fill in the gaps if you give me enough clues to go by. This film provides amble glimpses and clues as to the nature of the mothman, I didn't need a lingering camera shot, I didn't need to count it's scales or feathers to know that it was scary enough in the little glances we got in the movie. But I do understand that some need their imagination spoon-fed.

All in all, a good movie. Filled with twists and confusion just as I am sure thae characters were in the story. It is not a story that is laid out in a very formulaic manner, you might have to think a bit to get this one. But if you are willing to sit with it, give your self over to it and go for the ride, it is very enjoyable and has a whole lot more to say than just scaring us.

Hee Haw Honeys (1978–1979)

A Favorite

[18 December 2002]

I remember this show being a favorite. Plenty to look at with the "Hee Haw Honeys" and, what really stands out in my mind are the antics of Gailard Sartain as Willie Billie. This series made me take notice of him from here on out.

Country corn-pone humor with plenty of 1978-era T & A, these shows ( along with the original "Hee Haw" ) were always an interesting dichotomy as they might do a gospel number and immediately follow that with a bouncy bimbo sketch borrowed from old burlesque routines. I suppose that is the whole spirit of country music itself and the contradictions that are in it as well.

Not complaining at all, mind you. It was an enjoyable show and one I wouldn't mind seeing again someday in reruns.

Southern Discomfort: Wrestling on the Indie Circuit (2002)

An excellent look at the pro wrestling world

[16 November 2002]

I enjoyed this documentary immensely, it shows the life of wrestlers on the indie circuit, men (and women) who slog it out in small gyms and halls all across the south.



By following a few wrestlers it gives you a spectrum of who is out there wrestling, from the once big name wrestler to the guy who was always an indie but happy at that level to the restaurant manager who wrestles in his spare time. They discuss why they do it, what they get out of it (and don't) and what their life is like.

A side note... early on in the film you see a man putting up wrestling posters on poles and barn walls, he is later seen at a match, selling tickets and promoting. It isn't mentioned in the movie at all, but this man is known as a legendary classic exploitation film promoter, David F. Friedman. It was a pleasant surprise to see him in this film and to see that he is still on the road promoting, promoting, promoting!

Highly recommended, especially if you live in the South and/or have seen those cheap indie wrestling posters around and wondered what was behind all that. As a small mini-film festival, I'd recommend Henry Winkler's old movie "The One And Only" and the recent expose documentary that came out on the WWF.

Stop! Look! and Laugh! (1960)

Good film... in it's context

[16 November 2002]

This film was made to be a B picture, meaning it opened for the main movie. As a B picture, it is sufficient, it does it's job, holds the attention, provides Stooge and Paul Winchell fans with some laughs. This film was never meant to satisfy an audience would would come 40 years later, spoiled by pristine remastered complete prints available with the click of a DVD player.

No, this was for the kids who wanted a quick laugh, familiar gags they had probably seen a hundred times (by 1960 the Three Stooges as well as the Little Rascals were syndicated on many kiddie TV shows), so this movie fulfills it's requirement of keeping audiences happy till the main feature came up.

So, if you want to see this, watch it in that spirit, get up one Saturday morning, pop some popcorn and get some soda pop put this tape in , watch a few cartoons after it's over and then you will be warmed up for something like a film from the Sinbad series, early Jerry Lewis or something else you might enjoy from the period.

Pufnstuf (1970)

Someone was "Puffin' Stuff" all right!

[16 November 2002]

This is a movie from a wonderful children's TV series and everyone in the TV show is here and a few surprises are thrown in as well. One generation's hit is another's camp classic, but this is fun. They sure don't make them like this anymore!

There is something here for everyone, visually it would appeal to the very young due to it's eye-catching colours and gentle plots, older children might get more into the storyline and even adults might catch themselves enjoying the borderline Freudian plot which is at the center of this movie as well as each episode of the TV series, a witch and her obssession with a little boy's "magic flute".... ahem.

The non-human characters will remind many of the old ad campaigns of McDonald's with Mayor McCheese, The Hamburgler, etc. Did the Crofts have anything to do with the McDonald's advertising or was it just a rip-off?

It was a nice surprise to see "Mama" Cass Elliot in this one, she seems to be having a ball in her role as a crony of Witchpoo. Seeing this makes me wonder at what potential died with her.

Recommended highly...and yes, I'd have to strongly agree with other reviewers here who have said that if children's fantasy movies from the period interest you, definately give this one a try, switch off your inner critic, and just enjoy!

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)

You were expecting Citizen Kane?

[7 November 2002]

Sorry to disappoint the soft cotton candy and warm fuzzy world of most film-goers, but there are a vast spectrum of film out there. Just as in any art form, music, theatre, painting and.... yes, film.

This film was produced by people sincere in trying to make some entertainment, maybe a little personal fame and some recognition for their community. Okay, so they failed.

The plot has been covered, with various levels of competence, no need to add anything to that, just a few observations and some background. The man who played Torgo, who everyone following the MST3K version laughs at for having "big knees" was actually in the costume of a satyr that he had made himself. If you had seen the real version (without fake theatre seats and characters covering the bottom fourth of the screen as in MST3K) you would have seen his cloven hooves, look at any rendition of a satyr and you will see the large animal-like thigh muscles. What was being tried with the Torgo character's knees was not just out of the blue, there was a method to the madness.

The man who played Torgo killed himself either just before the film was released or just after (reports vary). Apparently he had trouble with drugs and came from a very strict family. And this film was the only film work of the great majority of the cast, it was their one shot and they took it.

But yes, the film is fun to laugh at, it is inept and scattered. But in the laughing from your safe couch where no one expects anything of you, spare a thought for the heart that went into making a picture like this. And if you want to see the worst movie ever made that no one (even , gasp, MST3K) has ever heard of, see a film called "The Legend Of Blood Mountain", made about the same time in the Atlanta area.

Recommended with the proviso that you know that low-budget regional films like this are truly in a category of their own.

Monsters Crash the Pajama Party (1965)

Not a typical movie

[23 October 2002]

The movie's plot has been explained well in other entries here, so I'll just cut to background and some context here. This movie was made to be part of the old movie theatre spookshow circuit. Nothing more. At one point in the movie the gorilla and other monsters walk toward the screen and this would have cued actors in the theatre to come out dressed in similar costumes to terrorize the audience. The next scene shows the monsters bring a girl in to be operated on, by this time the actors would have retreated back behind the screen.

Yes, it's cheesy fun, it was meant to be.It would have been shown as a part of a full evening of horror movies, cartoons, "live" monsters and ghosts, maybe a magic show and more, with the theatre rigged to producee various special effects.

That this movie survives at all is a treat, but it does need to be seen with the understanding of it's time frame and how it would have been shown.

The costumes as bad, but they were made to approximate how the actors (usually locally hired teenagers) would have looked when they came out into the audience.

Recommended, if in a silly mood as part of a Halloween evening's show with a favorite horror movie. "Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark" would make an excellent double feature with this one! I'd also recommend as another suggestion "Zacherley's Horrible Horror" , a compilation of 2 hours of classic bad horror movies, hosted by Zacherley. Now, thats what I'd call Halloween!

The Eyes of the Mummy (1918)

Not a "horror movie" at all

[7 October 2002]

... but a tragedy... of sorts. The "Eyes Of The Mummy" refer to the eye-holes in a doorway with a face on it that Pola Negri looks out of to scare people out of the temple of Queen Ma. There is no mummy, there is no monster, there really is no horror. This is not a complaint, but this movie is often grouped in with monster movies merely because of it's title.

It's easy to laugh at a film almost 85 years old, your grand kids and great grand kids will laugh at what you currently enjoy as well. The dance that Pola does may look strange to our eyes, but the desired effect was to be exotic. The acting is typically broad and melodramatic, appropriate to it's time. With the deterioration of many silent movies, we can sometimes be thankful that the actors seemed to be overacting, we can still see their expressions even when their films are fading away.

Not Pola Negri's best work, or her worst. There must be a few different cuts of this film circulating. The one I saw was about an hour and ten minutes long, not the half-hour reported here or the forty-five minutes reported on the main page for this movie. I rather enjoyed the version I saw, maybe the shorter cuts leave too much out to fill the story out.

Recommended if you enjoy the genre and it's stars. If you are looking for Halloween fare, stick with Universal's later horror classics, including..yes, the "real" mummy movies.

Rat Race (2001)

Funny movie revives a classic genre

[19 September 2002]

This is a funny movie that takes me back to the 1960s and 1970s to the days of movies like "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad. Mad World", "The Great Race" and onto later movies like "The Gumball Rally" and "The Blues Brothers". The comedy chase movie.

Not all the jokes will hit, but what comedy does? It throws them out fast and furious in shotgun fashion and there are far more laughs than not. Just when you think the movie cannot get more absurd and cartoonish, the bottom falls out and it goes to a new level.

Nazis, hanging cows, balloons, a busfull of Lucille Balls, monster trucks, land speed-rockets, as is typical of the genre, every form of available transport is utilized. The actors all look like they were having a great time making the movie as well.

The ending was fluff, but that's okay, it was a good resolution. I liked it.

Recommended as one of my silly movies, you gotta be in that silly mood. Go in expecting Schindler's List or feeling like broad comedy is somehoe beneath you and you are bound to have a poor time...and you will deserve it too!

Blood Beast of Monster Mountain (1975)

Essentially the same movie as "Legend Of Blood Mountain"

[19 September 2002]

This is, essentially, the same movie as "Legend Of Blood Mountain". A new producer bought the rights to this movie, added some new footage of the monster and some gore to please 1970s audiences, and re-released it 10 years after the fact.

It's a real shame that, because of this movie's history, it is almost impossible to find it in it's original form. "Demon Hunter" is a badly spliced mess, and this has added footage and a new monster.

Okay, "Legend Of Blood Mountain" is never going to rank on anyone's list of best movie, but still, it would be nice if the original were available more widely.

Serendipity (2001)

Nice Romantic Movie

[31 August 2002]

This is a nice, romantic fantasy movie that I will keep and play again around Christmas time.

It has been truly well said that once we find love in life, the only other place we can fall in love again (at least for a little while) is at the movies. For an hour and a half or so we can feel with the characters ups and downs and, hopefully an up before the film ends.

This movie does just that in the tradition of modern romantic classics like Sleepless In Seattle and You've Got Mail, there is the build-up as we see the characters come in contact, become seemingly impossibly seperated and make their way back together again.

The book that Sara signs her name in, "Love In The Time Of Cholera", is by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and it's theme, which parallels the movie, is about lost love over time, distance and circumstance.

The cameos were great to see, Buck Henry, Molly Shannon, Eugene Levy and more were all bright spots in scenes they were in.

It must be realized when watching a movie like this that there is no time to show the resolution of every loose end as far as prior and current relationships. It is assumed that as the plot has managed to work things out, that situation has been or will be worked out in itself. The basic point of the movie is that there is one person fated for us, to settle for anyone else when there is a chance of being with the soul-mate is to cheat everyone involved. To be rejected before marrying is far to be preferred to living years in an unhappy marriage

Recommended, particularly as a Christmas treat.

The Miracle of the Bells (1948)

Sweetly well-meaning movie

[25 August 2002]

What a sweet and well-meaning movie this is. It's about love and respect for family and background and wanting to make a lasting mark on the shifting sands of our world.

The movie is not perfect, of course, it could have been shorter and not suffered much for it. The points seem belabored during the last half hour. Fred MacMurray saying "baby" all the time to Olga, the female lead was a little off-putting. Not so much for the word itself, it just seemed un-natural to hear him say it.

All that said, I will reiterate that this is a sweet movie. There is a great Christmas scene that will forever make me think of this as a "Christmas Movie". Philip Ahn as the Chinese retaurateur was a beam of light and gentleness in this movie. His role was a stand-out.

Frank Sinatra was to have better roles in later years and his acting technique would develop. He is slightly lost in the role here. But that is no big sleight in this movie.

Recommended. Religious but not preachy, sweet but not sickly sweet. A nice movie for cold Christmas eves.

Girl Shy (1924)

Great Slapstick Action Romance

[4 August 2002]

I have not seen very many Harold Lloyd movies, but if this film is any indication of his massive talent, I need to remedy that as soon as possible.

Harold is wonderful as Harold Meadows, a man so shy around women that he stutters until a whistle is blown. He is at work on a book about seducing women strangely enough and the imaginary scenes of him using his "techniques" on both a Vampire (Vamp) and a Flapper are early indications that this is going to be a very funny film.

The plot has been more than ably shared already, I will just add a few short observations.

It was a treat to see some of the earliest Our Gang / Little Rascal kids in this movie. In the opening scene in the tailor shop the wild-haired boy getting his pants stitched is Jackie Condon and the cute, chubby boy sitting on the floor is the first Our Gang "Fat Kid" , Joe Cobb. Later during the chase scene as Harold is riding horses, a freckle-faced boy calls out a cheer, this is Mickey Daniels, also of Our Gang fame.

I enjoyed, as everyone seems to of course, the chase/race at the end. It seems that they purposely used every form of land transport known at the time to get Harold to the place he needed to be.

Early product placement? Crackerjack boxes play a major role in this film.



All in all, this was am excellent introduction to Harold Lloyd for me, it makes me want to see more. I recommend it highly!

Candid Camera (1948–1952)

The First "Reality Show"

[24 July 2002]

Years before the present deluge of "Reality Shows", Allan Funt was presenting Candid Camera, in which normal people were presented with unusual circumstances and practical jokes and their reactions were filmed for television ( and a few feature films ).

The older material is truly funny as we watch and realize that they are reacting to behaviour and rudeness that we are quite used to seeing in our "modern" life.

Recommended as an example of what Reality Shows truly could be, funny and entertaining.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

A sweet romantic movie

[21 July 2002]

Movies like this are really our generation' great romantic love stories. Every generation had a few that defined its era and this is one of ours.

I found myself rooting for the two main characters, knowing that , in the end it would all work out for them. A continent apart and one engaged, the other brooding over the recent death of his wife, how will this all come together?

Excellent sound track, definately worth getting, that is another note that defines the generation's romantic movie, the soundtrack. What this movie does though is borrow heavily from "standards" of past generations which gives it timeless appeal.

This one will get you in a romantic mood and make you fall in love, if only for the length of a movie.

Recommended when you feel like swimming in an ocean of feeling.

UHF (1989)

Perfect Silliness

[21 July 2002]

This movie is like a classic issue of Mad Magazine brought to film. There are sight gags, film parodies, music satire and tons of laughs.

This is one I had to own when it came out on DVD. The commentary on it is fantastic as Al tells so much about the making of the movie, it seems that he knows what we would want to know and shares a lot.

Michael Richards, pre-Seinfeld, post-Fridays, geeky and hilarious as ever. Tony Geary in a GREAT stretch for him as Philo the station technician... so many great people here... the always incredible Gedde Watanabe is excellent as a game show host.

You gotta watch this, it will take you back to your teen years, reading Mad magazine under the covers with a flashlight when you should have been sleeping.

Kate & Leopold (2001)

This movie got me about halfway through it

[21 July 2002]

I will admit that the time travel idea was just so-so at first , I thought I had seen it before with "Time After Time" and "Somewhere In Time". So I went in with not very high expectations.

When the two characters fell in love though, I was there with them. I had effectively been seduced by the plot.

There is a skill in writing when the audience is brought along slowly and allowed to feel with the characters. This movie was one of them.

It will not be a generation defining love story as some of Meg Ryan's other movies have been, but it is a sweet story and worth seeking out.