stevendigitalarts
Lifetime Total
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IMDb Member
20 years
Reviews
Inland Empire (2006)
How can you spoil a Lynch film. You could read the entire script and still not now what the hell it's about!
Warning! You will receive a mission after reading this review....
Inland Empire stands as one of my favorite David Lynch films along side Dune, Blue Velvet, The Straight Story and Mullholland Drive. I was lucky enough to see this film with director Lynch and actor's Laura Dern and Justin Theroux in attendance. I have to tell you I had to relieve myself the entire two hours but I sat glued to my seat not wanting to miss a single moment in a film made up of hundreds of mostly non related Lynchian moments. What can I say. I'm a proud member of the Lynch mob.
Another of my favorite directors is Alfred Hitchcock. Hitch takes you into a world of the every man or woman getting mistaken for the wrong person or finding themselves in some sort of trouble. Lynch takes a different approach. He takes a troubled person, throws them into more trouble then sinks both you and the character into the god awfullest depths for two hours never letting go until he suddenly snaps you back into some bizarre happy ending. Mel Brooks once said of Lynch "He's Jimmy Stewart from mars! One only has to watch Vertigo or Rear Window to know exactly what Mel was talking about. He's a wide eyed boy scout voyeur that in his youth even looked a little like Stewart. But Lynch is not content looking through the rear windows like L.B. Jeffery's. Lynch wants to go behind the closed doors and into the very heads of his neighbors. Like Stewart in Vertigo he also likes to manipulate people, change them into something they're not for his own pleasure, even switching actors right in the middle of the movie for seemingly no rhyme or reason. Who can ever figure out Mulholland Drive and yet, because it's Lynch, it's a nightmare we're happy to visit. This is the same way I feel about Inland Empire (wow I almost forgot why I started writing this!) Inland Empire. I can't explain this film and won't even try but I will say that there are scenes of great beauty, horrific dread, and an erie play put on by actors in rabbits heads that just gave me a haunting uneasy feeling. Why should we subject ourselves to this kind of absurd abuse? Because no one can tell a story like David can. A story of truth without logic. And we can always trust him to bring us out of the depths and leave us in a much better place, somewhat intact and also a little wiser. Like Little Red Riding Hood sings in Sondheim's "Into The Woods" " Isn't it nice to know a lot?... With Lynch what we know is not always pleasant!
A Happy Ending.... In Dune it was the simple promise of new life from the falling rain. In Blue Velvet it was the animatronic bird eating the horrible beetle in an ending so bizarrely happy I almost wanted to go back to Franks apartment! In the ultra violent Wild At Heart the film ends with Sailor Ripley singing Love me Tender after getting beat up by a street gang followed by a visit from the good witch of the north! Ya you read it right... In the movie it makes sense... Sort of. And he does the same with Inland Empire complete with a rousing finale song!... Speaking of songs I asked him in the question and answer period that followed the film if he ever planned on making a musical. I pointed out how he uses songs so often in his films and so brilliantly (as if he didn't already know this) and how odd that he rarely finishes the entire song. He laughed and said if a good idea came to him he would consider it. Can you imaging a David Lynch Musical? A singer right in the middle of his big finish gets interrupted by a phone call from the little person who lives between the walls. The song is never finished nor the singer heard from again! That would be amazing.
Anyway thank you for reading and now for your mission. Ready? Here goes. Take that next film out of your Netflix cue, (I'm sure you've seen it twice already) and type in Inland Empire. Got it? good! I promises you'll never be the same again...
"Isn't it nice to know a lot?... And a little bit - not!"
Inland Empire stands as one of my favorite David Lynch films along side Dune, Blue Velvet, The Straight Story and Mullholland Drive. I was lucky enough to see this film with director Lynch and actor's Laura Dern and Justin Theroux in attendance. I have to tell you I had to relieve myself the entire two hours but I sat glued to my seat not wanting to miss a single moment in a film made up of hundreds of mostly non related Lynchian moments. What can I say. I'm a proud member of the Lynch mob.
Another of my favorite directors is Alfred Hitchcock. Hitch takes you into a world of the every man or woman getting mistaken for the wrong person or finding themselves in some sort of trouble. Lynch takes a different approach. He takes a troubled person, throws them into more trouble then sinks both you and the character into the god awfullest depths for two hours never letting go until he suddenly snaps you back into some bizarre happy ending. Mel Brooks once said of Lynch "He's Jimmy Stewart from mars! One only has to watch Vertigo or Rear Window to know exactly what Mel was talking about. He's a wide eyed boy scout voyeur that in his youth even looked a little like Stewart. But Lynch is not content looking through the rear windows like L.B. Jeffery's. Lynch wants to go behind the closed doors and into the very heads of his neighbors. Like Stewart in Vertigo he also likes to manipulate people, change them into something they're not for his own pleasure, even switching actors right in the middle of the movie for seemingly no rhyme or reason. Who can ever figure out Mulholland Drive and yet, because it's Lynch, it's a nightmare we're happy to visit. This is the same way I feel about Inland Empire (wow I almost forgot why I started writing this!) Inland Empire. I can't explain this film and won't even try but I will say that there are scenes of great beauty, horrific dread, and an erie play put on by actors in rabbits heads that just gave me a haunting uneasy feeling. Why should we subject ourselves to this kind of absurd abuse? Because no one can tell a story like David can. A story of truth without logic. And we can always trust him to bring us out of the depths and leave us in a much better place, somewhat intact and also a little wiser. Like Little Red Riding Hood sings in Sondheim's "Into The Woods" " Isn't it nice to know a lot?... With Lynch what we know is not always pleasant!
A Happy Ending.... In Dune it was the simple promise of new life from the falling rain. In Blue Velvet it was the animatronic bird eating the horrible beetle in an ending so bizarrely happy I almost wanted to go back to Franks apartment! In the ultra violent Wild At Heart the film ends with Sailor Ripley singing Love me Tender after getting beat up by a street gang followed by a visit from the good witch of the north! Ya you read it right... In the movie it makes sense... Sort of. And he does the same with Inland Empire complete with a rousing finale song!... Speaking of songs I asked him in the question and answer period that followed the film if he ever planned on making a musical. I pointed out how he uses songs so often in his films and so brilliantly (as if he didn't already know this) and how odd that he rarely finishes the entire song. He laughed and said if a good idea came to him he would consider it. Can you imaging a David Lynch Musical? A singer right in the middle of his big finish gets interrupted by a phone call from the little person who lives between the walls. The song is never finished nor the singer heard from again! That would be amazing.
Anyway thank you for reading and now for your mission. Ready? Here goes. Take that next film out of your Netflix cue, (I'm sure you've seen it twice already) and type in Inland Empire. Got it? good! I promises you'll never be the same again...
"Isn't it nice to know a lot?... And a little bit - not!"
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
...but he could have lived for a month with that money!
"Slumdog Millionaire" is riveting, emotionally satisfying, gritty, and overall well-executed film. The music stands out with it's wonderful exotic flavor and captivating background melodies. I can listen to paper plane a hundred times and it was used perfectly in the film. Every good thing that can be said about Slumdog already has been so I'll just say the film did leave me with one very big question at the end?. Who in the hell would just hand over a big Ben Franklin to a blind street singer? I know he felt sorry for his friend and all but seriously. I loved the romance of the film and the love hate relationship of the brothers. The acting was great all around. The editing was frantic but sure and steady. Slumdog is a winner and one of the best from 08! I give in 9 stars. (I would have given it 10 but the way that kid just threw away 100 really gets me!)
Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009)
A splendid time is guaranteed for all!
Re-review!
Okay I'm going to champion the Jonas Brothers 3D Experience by saying what I did on my first review. In it I said that even though I gave the film 10 stars, as a documentary the film left me wanting more. Now that I've read some of the other legitimate remarks. (not the obvious haters) I realize that Disney did the brothers a disservice by not giving us, the parents and curious older crowed the complete back story. So many people have the misconception that the Jonas Brother are a product of Disney, snatched out of a cattle call and handed musical instruments. Not true. The youngest was writing songs at an earlier age, recorded a Christian album, the boy's have done commercials, two of them performed in hit shows on Broadway and then formed the band and had their first contract with Columbia. Disney saw a good deal then did what Disney does best. But with this project they've dropped the ball. They should have taken this showcase a bit more seriously. There are folks out there who don't even know they're real brothers! We have to be told these things people. Some of us parents and grandparents are still wondering if there's a Mr. and Mrs. Doobie? Anyway I still like the film. And to the haters..The Jonas Brother will not destroy music as we know it. If Disco couldn't, nothing in heaven or earth can.
Original Review
I felt completely left out in the cold! It seemed like I was the only person in my family that has not seen the Jonas Brothers up close and personal. My two older daughters and niece we're among the many chasing the brothers during the opening credits of their new film. My youngest daughters image, blurry as it is, can be seen on the CD soundtrack. Even my wife, an attraction host at Disney, seated them yesterday on her boat on It's A Small World and let them go around twice! (who would want to go around twice?) But I, after only seeing them in concert from the nose bleeds decided to catch the 12.01 showing at the local theater to see them up close. Man has 3D come a long way. Before I go on, why can't we see Elton John or David Bowie like this?.... Anyway the Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience is great entertainment from start to finish. Even the end credits are fun to watch! I have not seen such mayhem since the early Beatles and if you are not a fan I dare you to watch this film and not come away with at least some appreciation for the JoBros. Take away all the hype and you've got three young men who are the real deal. All three are charismatic and talented musicians/singers/performers. Yes you can fake a guitar rift or fake a vocal (not that I'm accusing them of this!) but you can't fake a 3d in your face shot of Nick going crazy on the drums with all the energy of a Keith Moon and the exuberance of a Ringo Starr, only Nick is better looking then Ringo, sings better and writes better songs! (sorry Richard we will always love you!) The 3D film, as beautiful and vibrant as it is, is a bit disappointing in that you don't get more behind the scenes looks at where they came from and who they are. I, as one who has not read the countless teen mags would have liked to know more about them personally. But I guess with the gimmick of 3D there is really no room for that. The concert is the main focus here. I'm sure there will be more serious documentaries in the future. As the brothers continue gaining an older crowed I want to be the first 50 year old music lover to predict that the Jonas Brothers will have a career the likes of Sir Elton John complete with movie soundtracks and Broadway scores. But that's some time away. The Jo Bro's will first have to shake the adoring teenyboppers and Camp Rocks so as to be taken more seriously in the music world. They deserve it! I can't wait to see what they can come up with when the hysteria subsides and they spend time experimenting in the Studios. But hey they're still young and as they say, They're living the dream. We're lucky to be able to sample a bit of it in this energetic 3D experience. As a documentary the Jonas Brothers 3D film left me wanting more. As an experience.... Well, Great songs, good fun equal 10 stars.
One more thing. I just read the favorable review from Entertainment weekly. I felt it odd that the reviewer commented on the "sexual overtones" of the boy's spraying the adoring girls with foam? lol What kind of twisted world do we live in?... But wait this gives me an idea. Hmmm, maybe the next time Gallagher sledgehammers a banana into the 3rd row I should sue for sexual harassment!... Okay put on your 3D glasses, sit back and remember what it was like to be young and willing to throw yourself at the feet of your musical hero's. With or without foam!
Okay I'm going to champion the Jonas Brothers 3D Experience by saying what I did on my first review. In it I said that even though I gave the film 10 stars, as a documentary the film left me wanting more. Now that I've read some of the other legitimate remarks. (not the obvious haters) I realize that Disney did the brothers a disservice by not giving us, the parents and curious older crowed the complete back story. So many people have the misconception that the Jonas Brother are a product of Disney, snatched out of a cattle call and handed musical instruments. Not true. The youngest was writing songs at an earlier age, recorded a Christian album, the boy's have done commercials, two of them performed in hit shows on Broadway and then formed the band and had their first contract with Columbia. Disney saw a good deal then did what Disney does best. But with this project they've dropped the ball. They should have taken this showcase a bit more seriously. There are folks out there who don't even know they're real brothers! We have to be told these things people. Some of us parents and grandparents are still wondering if there's a Mr. and Mrs. Doobie? Anyway I still like the film. And to the haters..The Jonas Brother will not destroy music as we know it. If Disco couldn't, nothing in heaven or earth can.
Original Review
I felt completely left out in the cold! It seemed like I was the only person in my family that has not seen the Jonas Brothers up close and personal. My two older daughters and niece we're among the many chasing the brothers during the opening credits of their new film. My youngest daughters image, blurry as it is, can be seen on the CD soundtrack. Even my wife, an attraction host at Disney, seated them yesterday on her boat on It's A Small World and let them go around twice! (who would want to go around twice?) But I, after only seeing them in concert from the nose bleeds decided to catch the 12.01 showing at the local theater to see them up close. Man has 3D come a long way. Before I go on, why can't we see Elton John or David Bowie like this?.... Anyway the Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience is great entertainment from start to finish. Even the end credits are fun to watch! I have not seen such mayhem since the early Beatles and if you are not a fan I dare you to watch this film and not come away with at least some appreciation for the JoBros. Take away all the hype and you've got three young men who are the real deal. All three are charismatic and talented musicians/singers/performers. Yes you can fake a guitar rift or fake a vocal (not that I'm accusing them of this!) but you can't fake a 3d in your face shot of Nick going crazy on the drums with all the energy of a Keith Moon and the exuberance of a Ringo Starr, only Nick is better looking then Ringo, sings better and writes better songs! (sorry Richard we will always love you!) The 3D film, as beautiful and vibrant as it is, is a bit disappointing in that you don't get more behind the scenes looks at where they came from and who they are. I, as one who has not read the countless teen mags would have liked to know more about them personally. But I guess with the gimmick of 3D there is really no room for that. The concert is the main focus here. I'm sure there will be more serious documentaries in the future. As the brothers continue gaining an older crowed I want to be the first 50 year old music lover to predict that the Jonas Brothers will have a career the likes of Sir Elton John complete with movie soundtracks and Broadway scores. But that's some time away. The Jo Bro's will first have to shake the adoring teenyboppers and Camp Rocks so as to be taken more seriously in the music world. They deserve it! I can't wait to see what they can come up with when the hysteria subsides and they spend time experimenting in the Studios. But hey they're still young and as they say, They're living the dream. We're lucky to be able to sample a bit of it in this energetic 3D experience. As a documentary the Jonas Brothers 3D film left me wanting more. As an experience.... Well, Great songs, good fun equal 10 stars.
One more thing. I just read the favorable review from Entertainment weekly. I felt it odd that the reviewer commented on the "sexual overtones" of the boy's spraying the adoring girls with foam? lol What kind of twisted world do we live in?... But wait this gives me an idea. Hmmm, maybe the next time Gallagher sledgehammers a banana into the 3rd row I should sue for sexual harassment!... Okay put on your 3D glasses, sit back and remember what it was like to be young and willing to throw yourself at the feet of your musical hero's. With or without foam!
The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
What a singable, laughable shame!
Walt Disney's The Happiest Millionaire, like other road show musicals of the time, is a victim of the tumultuous 1960's. What separates The Happiest Millionaire from the others is that Millionaire is an excellent piece of musical entertainment that holds up today. It's a shame. Had this film come out 5, 10 years earlier it would surly be regarded with the likes of Meet Me in St Louie, and Singing in the Rain. This film is a nostalgic gem. The visuals are stunning, the acting is pure musical theater and the songs memorable and snappy. Speaking of the songs. This is sadly also one of the most underrated and overlooked score of all time. The songs are perfectly placed (well it is a Disney film!) beautifully written and executed. This was the Sherman Brothers in their prime. Fortuosity will come to those who stumble upon this musical classic. A film sadly in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Goth (2003)
Goth is a step above the usual ultra low budget fare.
Goth is a step above the rest in the ultra low budget world. The story was solid and the acting is above average low budget fare. Phoebe Dollar and Laura Reilly embody their characters and are fun to watch. Laura is that girl next door you fantasize about. Director Brad Sykes did a fine job and the making of was interesting to watch. It is the first film of this kind I actually watched all the way through.