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"THE SLEEPING DICTIONARY"

Fast-rising young Brit actor Hugh Dancy has his best role as a boyishly naïve British colonial just-out-of-university assigned to Sarawak in Malaysia the 1930s. It’s traditional that young Brit officers learn the native language from a beautiful native girl who becomes his “sleeping dictionary.” To tell more would spoil the movie for you. I liked this one very much, and not only for its gorgeous scenery. It will transport you to a time, place, and people with whom you’ll like spending two hours.
From New Line.
Max’s rating: Two paws up and lots of face licks.

“PIECE OF CAKE”
Everyone knows the tribute Winston Churchill gave the Royal Air Force in World War II: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” This 3-DVD set reprises the Masterpiece Theatre television mini-series about the adventures of one squadron of RAF fighter pilots, based on the best-selling novel by Derek Robinson.
Tom Burlinson, Nathaniel Parker, and Jeremy Northam are members of the Brit squadron, and Boyd Gaines plays a Yank who joins it in 1939. There are enough plots and subplots including two romances to keep you interested, and the aerial scenes of dogfights between the RAF and Nazi planes are some of the best ever filmed. Highly recommended, from Granada and BFS Video.
Max’s rating: Two paws up (in a double salute to the RAF).

“RESPIRO”
You won’t know what that word means from any other review, but it’s Italian for “breath” or “breathing.” That makes some sense after you see the movie, Italian with English subtitles, but you still may not be able to figure out what it is about. I found it to be a life-affirming comedy about a woman who may be a manic depressive living on the Italian island of Lampedusa on the beautiful Mediterranean. She is a wife and mother who is “different” from anyone else in the fishing village because she seems to enjoy life more than they do. When relatives urge her husband to have her sent to Milan for psychiatric treatment, her teenage son hides her in a cave and brings her food. From there she swims in the sea and continues to commune with the beauty of the area. I won’t reveal the ending, but it is joyful. Yes, this one is definitely different. Not easy to figure out, but ultimately very enjoyable and worth a dozen other new movies this month. Maybe I also liked it because there are lots of dogs in it, although they do not come to a joyful end, and animal lovers will hate this part of the movie which I didn’t think was needed at all. The woman’s helpful son, played by Francesco Casisa, steals the acting honors, even from the star, Valeria Golino (“Frida”) who plays the mother. From Columbia Tri-Star.
Max’s rating: Two paws up and a tear for the dogs.

"MY HOUSE IN UMBRIA"
Maggie Smith gives another luminous performance in this made-for-TV HBO movie. She plays a British writer of romance novels living in Italy who gives shelter and friendship at her villa to four survivors of a terrorist attack on a train. Most of the story focuses on her efforts to help an American girl traumatized after her mother is killed in the train bombing. Excellent supporting cast includes Chris Cooper and Giancarlo Giannini. “Visually lush and dramatically poignant,” said Daily Variety. From HBO Video.
Max’s rating: Tail wags.

"AFTERGLOW"
It’s a modern romantic drama about two dysfunctional marriages. The wives want their husband’s physical love, but one of the husbands (Jonny Lee Miller playing a yuppie) doesn’t want any, and the other (Nick Nolte playing a handyman -- a part Arnold Schwarzenegger was born to play) wants it all the time, but with someone else. Julie Christie’s performance, which won her a best actress Oscar nomination in 1997, could be an acting lesson for today’s actresses. She acts rings around the current crop of so-called stars because she is old enough to have had some life experience to bring to her role. A few years with Warren Beatty could do that. From Columbia Tri-Star.

"CONFIDENCE"
Other reviewers call this “A slick and smart caper movie,” “A very smart thriller,” and “A stylish, compelling crime caper.” It’s not really that good, but better than most crime movies today, partly because of its stars. Edward Burns, one of my favorite young actors today, leads a strong cast including Andy Garcia, Rachel Weisz, and Dustin Hoffman who seems to have become a cameo character actor these days. From Lions Gate.

"THE WYVERN MYSTERY"
Naomi Watts deftly plays a beautiful young ward of a wealthy much older man (Derek Jacobi) who wants her to be his bride and will kill anyone who keeps that from happening. But she’s in love with one of his two handsome sons, one of whom turns out to be far from the nice guy he appears. This sets the stage for murder, Gothic horror, and mystery upon mystery based on the Brit novel by J.S. Le Fanu. Turn up the furnace, because this one is a real chiller. From BBC Video and BFS Video.

"THE SEA IS WATCHING"
Akira Kurosawa’s final film, with screenplay by him but directed by Kei Kumai, is a tale of love involving a beautiful geisha who loves a troubled samurai in 19th century Japan. “Beautiful, and beautifully crafted,” said one reviewer, and it is all that. From Columbia Tri-Star.

"THE LEGEND OF SURIYOTHAI"
She is a beautiful young Thai princess who must choose between the young Thai warrior she loves and the Burmese king she has to marry in order to end a war and unite the two kingdoms. Exciting foreign adventure and intrigue from Columbia Tri-Star.

"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" and "SMILEY’S PEOPLE"
Master spy author John le Carre’s British Secret Intelligence retired head of espionage, George Smiley, is featured in two television suspense classics now out on DVD. Alec Guinness starred as Smiley in both TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY and the sequel SMILEY’S PEOPLE.
Both are digitally remastered and include an exclusive interview with le Carre. It’s Cold War espionage at its most exciting, filmed on locations in London, Paris, Germany, and Switzerland. “One of the most madly atmospheric and enjoyable literate films ever done for television,” said The Washington Post about TINKER.
From Acorn Media.
Max’s rating: Two paws up, covering my eyes.

POIROT MYSTERIES
Agatha Christie’s off-beat Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot, solves three more baffling mysteries in elegant 1930s settings in Set 6 of the PBS Mystery! and A&E television series starring the incomparable David Suchet. The single disc contains “The Theft of the Royal Ruby,” “The Affair at the Victory Ball,” and “The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge.”

Classics on DVD

Some of my master’s favorite oldies have been beautifully restored on DVD.

“THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR”
Beautiful Gene Tierney plays a widow who buys a British seaside cottage haunted by the ghost of a blustery ship captain played by Rex Harrison. The two create a special magic in this charming and atmospheric love and ghost story for all ages. How wonderful that DVD has reprised this classic for new audiences to discover and those who saw it when it was first released in 1975 can enjoy it again.
A real treasure from Fox.
Max’s rating: Two paws up and lots of tail wags.

"LAURA"
Gene Tierney again, this time as the enigmatic New York model who was murdered. Or was she? It’s a haunting, fascinating 1944 murder mystery made very special by the unique story, from a Vera Caspary novel, directed by Otto Preminger, and acting by Tierney, Clifton Webb, Dana Andrews, Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson. My favorite movie reviewer, Jay Robert Nash, wrote in his Motion Picture Guide: “Undoubtedly one of the most stylish and taut murder mysteries ever put on film. A must for any lover of film noir.” The theme music became the enormously popular song, “Laura.” See this one from Fox and you’ll never forget it.
Max’s rating: Woooooo! Two paws up.

"THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS"
Ingrid Bergman plays Gladys Aylward, a British housekeeper who dreams of being a Christian missionary in pre-World War II China. Her dream comes true in this touching and sometimes humorous movie that Variety called “spectacularly mounted, impressively acted and directed.” It’s based on true events and beautifully told and played by Bergman, Curt Jurgens, and Robert Donat in his final role. My master loves this 1986 movie beautifully restored to DVD and highly recommends it for the whole family. From Fox.
Max’s rating: Two paws up, tail wags, and Wooooos!

"THE JOLSON STORY" and "JOLSON SINGS AGAIN"
Just when everyone thought one of America’s greatest singers was out of style and forgotten, an Al Jolson biopic called THE JOLSON STORY became one of the biggest hits of 1946. B-actor Larry Parks zoomed to stardom portraying the vaudevillian who brought sound to the movies in 1927 as THE JAZZ SINGER. The DVD’s restored picture and sound are great. From Columbia Tri-Star, as is the equally enjoyable sequel, JOLSON SINGS AGAIN. All his great songs are in these two movies, sung by Jolson.
Max’s rating: Two paws up and my mammy loves these two movies.

"YOU’LL NEVER GET RICH"
Fred Astaire had a number of dance partners after Ginger Rogers, and one of the best was Rita Hayworth. They team well in this romantic comedy-musical from 1941 with songs by Cole Porter. The title refers to Astaire as an army private during World War II. From Columbia Tri-Star.

"THE MARRYING KIND"
George Cukor directed this romantic comedy-drama in 1952 with terrific Judy Holliday, fresh from BORN YESTERDAY, and newcomer Aldo Ray as a young couple who might or might not divorce. Wittily written by masters Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. From Columbia Tri-Star.

From TV to DVD

HEEERRRRRE’S JOHNNY!
They’ve finally done it: put together some of the best Johnny Carson Tonight Shows, on three DVDs. Over 30 years, from the 1960s to the 1990s, the master of talk shows hosted 4,000 shows with 25,000 guests. Carson personally selected his favorites for this special edition with guests including Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Don Rickles, and visits from Carnac the magician. The Emmy award-winning May 21, 1992 farewell show with guests Bette Midler and Robin Williams also is in the set, plus extras including on-location videos, a backstage tour of a Tonight Show, Carson performing his own stunts, artwork, and Carson’s life story. “The Ultimate Collection Starring Johnny Carson” is from R2 Entertainment.


“THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE”
The classic Thomas Hardy story of a highly-respected rural town mayor with a dark past to conceal is told in typical stylish Brit fashion in this 3-DVD set restored from the 7-part BBC Television series. Alan Bates stars as the mayor who had earlier sold his wife and daughter after imbibing too heavily at a country fair. The wife re-enters his life years later and he tries to make amends, but as in all good Victorian dramas, things don’t quite work out the way he hopes. Nobody does it better than the Brits and this one is among the best for transporting you into an earlier time and place where folks may even have had it worse than we do today. Another excellent DVD evening from Anchor Bay.
Max’s rating: Two paws up and lots of tail wags.

“FOREVER KNIGHT”
The complete first season of the 1992 CBS-Television series about Nicholas Knight, a 13th century vampire living in present-day Toronto, makes a spooky 5-disc DVD set. Forsaking his quest for immortality by feeding his craving for human blood, he becomes a detective fighting the city’s most brutal crimes. There’s lots of action and other crime stuff to sink your teeth into so, if you like that kind of entertainment, you’ll probably have a ghoul time with this series. From Columbia Tri-Star.

For Young Viewers

 

 

“WHALE RIDER”
According to a legend, a young man on a Pacific island rode on the back of a whale to lead his people to New Zealand. Since then, tradition held that the first-born male descendant of the hero Paikea will become chief of the tribe. All goes well until the present, when Pai is born and she is a girl. Against female prejudice by her tribe and loved ones, she rises to the challenge of proving her worthiness by coming to the aid of a pod of whales stranded on a beach. It’s exciting, heart-warming adventure for the whole family. “There’s magic in it,” said Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. From Columbia Tri-Star.

“BINGO”
I’ve never dreamed of running away from home, but Bingo, a circus dog, escapes the Big Top and finds himself in one adventure after another on a cross-country trek with a boy companion, Chuckie. Bingo rides a skateboard, plays pinball, and helps Chuckie do his math homework. Heck, I could do all that. It’s just, nobody ever asked me.
Good kid and family fun from Columbia Tri-Star.

“THOMAS AND FRIENDS”
The first-ever DVD boxed set of the little tank engine that could get into all kinds of adventures for kids is now available. “Thomas and Friends: Best of Platinum Edition Set” contains three DVDs of the award-winning television series that educates while it entertains children ages 2 to 6. Twenty-five stories -- “The Best of Thomas,” “The Best of James,” and “The Best of Percy” -- are told with the voices of Alec Baldwin, Ringo Starr, and George Carlin.
Each disc includes games, sing-along songs, and read-along stories that entertain kids while teaching values such as cooperation, fair play, and getting along with others.
From HIT Entertainment PLC and Anchor Bay.
Max’s rating: Two paws up and lots of tail wags.

Also from Anchor Bay is a new entry in the Thomas series, “Thomas’ Snowy Surprise,” a DVD in which Thomas and his engine friends go on wintertime and Christmas adventures hauling Christmas trees over snow-covered tracks, encounter Jack Frost, and save a farmer’s lambs trapped in snow. Extras include games, sing-alongs, how to decorate a Christmas tree, and an 8-page commemorative booklet.

Two more DVDs for preschoolers are TINY PLANETS, from Pepper’s Ghost and Studio Works, in which kids learn about the universe and winter from cuddly aliens Bing and Bong, and THE WHEELS ON THE BUS, from Winchester Television and Studio Works, a musical cartoon based on the favorite children’s song and featuring the adventures of Beep the Bus and his friends who include Daisy the Dog.

Classic Animation

Not only kids but adults who love animation will enjoy the new restored classic cartoons on DVD in the Great Animation Studios series from Winstar. “Fleischer Studios” features Popeye, Betty Boop, Superman, Koko the Clown and Max (a favorite of mine, of course) in cartoons from 1914 to 1941. “Famous Studios” contains 12 full-length cartoons featuring Little Lulu, Popeye, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Raggedy Ann, and others including my personal favorite, Dog Face.

 

Bones to Pick

Terry Morgan, a reviewer in Video Store Magazine just wrote this about “The Rising Place,” a new release with Billy Campbell (one of my favorites), Laurel Holloman, and others in a World War II drama about a girl left unmarried and pregnant by a GI: “This is being marketed as a wholesome, uplifting drama, and those who are drawn to such things will probably find this film unobjectionable.” I guess Terry prefers his movies unwholesome and depressing because his review sounds like he’d hold this movie up like a dead rat, by the tail. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but it irks me that he sounds so condescending to people who like their films wholesome and uplifting. Sad to say, the opposite is what Hollywood is giving us.

I bet you didn't know, but besides reviewing movies, I sing opera. Click here to see and hear me rehearsing the Barcarolle from "Tales of Hoffman."

Maybe you would like to visit my master's web site with highlights of his huge collection of old movie magazines, Bijou Follies
Two more web sites I recommend are: Errol Flynn and Jeffrey Hunter