March 2008
	by Max (with Walt Oleksy)	view previous issues here

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LUBITSCH MUSICALS

If it’s pure entertainment you want, Ernst Lubitsch is your man. The Hungarian-born master of witty romantic movies with class and style (“The Shop Around the Corner,” “To Be or Not to Be,” “Trouble in Paradise,” etc.) also directed some of Hollywood’s best early musicals. Four of them from the early 1930s are now restored in a boxed set from Criterion: “The Love Parade,” “Monte Carlo,” “The Smiling Lieutenant,” and “One Hour with You.” Most of them star Maurice Chevalier with Jeannette MacDonald, but you’ll also see Myrna Loy and Claudette Colbert among the cast of beautiful ladies. Forget the silly plots, the music is glorious and the romantic goings-on are often hilarious. These are real treats. Too bad young people won’t appreciate them until they’re their parents’ age. But that’s their problem (the kids’, not their parents’.)

Max’s rating: The highest: two paws up, howls, and “Woo woos!”

MICHAEL CLAYTON

For about the first half hour, my master and I were wondering what this movie was about and where it was taking us. We even wondered why critics were giving it such praise and it was up for a Best Picture Oscar. Then the movie started to grip us and kept holding us to the finish. Maybe it’s because we expected a thriller to have more action, but then we realized that there is plenty of action, only most of it is internal, in the performance of George Clooney and his excellent supporting cast led by Tom Wilkinson. It’s a corporate thriller, about power and greed, brave subjects well worth exploring in film, and I highly recommend it. From Warner Bros.

Max’s rating: Two paws up.

Also recommended:

DEATH AT A FUNERAL

Imagine a funeral gone completely wrong and be willing to see the humor in that and you will really like this quirky
comedy from England. One of my favorite young Brit actors, Matthew McFadden (Pride and Prejudice) takes a thankless role as a stuffed-shirt milquetoast in charge of his father’s funeral. His extroverted novelist brother, played by another of my young Brit favorites, Rupert Graves, believes he’s to give the eulogy. That sets up a situation that goes totally out of control, as cleverly written by Dean Craig and directed by Frank Oz. From Fox/MGM.

THE LEGEND OF BUTCH AND SUNDANCE

This is a very entertaining old-fashioned western that came and went as a television movie several years ago. I missed seeing it on the big screen and am very glad it’s on DVD for home viewing. David Rogers plays Butch and Ryan Browning is Sundance in the years they started to become outlaws. They’re almost as charismatic and make as good a screen team as Paul Newman and Robert Redford, yet they do it their own ways and without trying to copy the super-stars. It has plenty of action, some romance, and just the right amount of tongue in cheek. I hope it gives Rogers and Browning another chance at stardom. From Lionsgate.

SERENADES

An excellent Romeo and Juliet drama, this time in 19th Century Australia as a Christian missionary’s handsome son and a beautiful part-Aborigine girl fall in love but their cultures and religions keep them apart. “Undeniably fascinating,” said Variety and I agree. From Australian Film Finance and others, released by BFS Entertainment.

KHADAK

Something definitely different. An award-winning Mongolian epic, it is the story of a young nomad shepherd who becomes a shaman who is pitted against government officials who want to wipe out nomadic life. Along the way he falls in love with a beautiful young woman who is both a performer and a thief. This leads Khadak to confront native cultures and spirituality as well as the effect of industry on the environment. Yes, there’s a lot going on in Mongolia. From LifeSize Entertainment.

PRINCE AMONG SLAVES tells the harrowing and inspirational story of a real-life prince of an African tribe who is sold to slavers and shipped to America. After first resisting work on a cotton plantation, he comes to terms with his captivity and rises to a position of importance. Later being freed and regaining his royal heritage. he spends the rest of his life trying to win freedom for his children and grandchildren. The docudrama is a very moving experience from PBS Home Video.

DARKON
This very unusual “reality movie” involving live-action role playing (LARP), follows the real-life adventures of an unusual group of weekend “warrior knights.” They gather together in costume to re-enact historical events with lavish storylines. Camping out, they stage court intrigue, as well as panoramic battles involving competitive strategies while using convincingly real props and full-contact “combat.” If you’re looking for something different, this could satisfy you. From Condor Entertainment

VISIONS OF IRELAND will give you a jump start on St. Patrick’s Day next month as you take a helicopter tour of the Emerald Isle’s most historic and beautiful sites.
The 75-minute travelogue from Dublin to Galway is from Acorn Media.

Fans of the very popular Hugh Laurie (“House”) will love him as a middle-aged doctor facing a midlife crisis in this very funny 2003 British television series. Anna Chancellor plays his wife who may or may not be having one or more affairs.
Their three over-sexed sons add to the confusion and merriment. Guest stars include Stephen Fry, Laurie’s partner-in-comedy from “A Bit of Fry & Laurie” and “Jeeves and Wooster.” High comedy from Acorn Media.

SUBURBAN SHOOTOUT

British middle-class suburban life is uncovered in this “deliciously dark humorous series” (The Village Voice) that the New York Daily News reviews as “Desperate Housewives meets The Sopranos.” Stempington may look like a posh but quaint London suburb, but behind the well-tended flowerbeds and brightly painted doors lurks a deadly war, between housewives! Gangs of gun-toting ladies are fighting over turf and men as mild-mannered newcomer Joyce Hazledine (Amanda Bullmore)arrives, promptly caught up in a recruiting frenzy between rival neighbors Camilla (Anna Chancellor) and Barbara (Felicity Montagu. Joyce learns that the idle housewives don’t just kill time, they kill each other. Delightful entertainment from Acorn Media.

MURRAY WHELAN

David Wenham plays an assistant to an Australian government minister assigned as a special investigator to rescue his boss from political disasters. Not exactly suited to be an investigator, Whelan may at times be clumsy and appear to be dumb, but he manages to survive dangerous situations and keep his boss safe. It’s an appealing blend of mystery and thriller, with a sense of humor. Two full-length movies are on the DVD From Australian Film Finance and others, released by BFS Entertainment

THE LAST DETECTIVE

Peter Davison is back again in the hit British television mystery series based on the Dangerous Davies novels by Leslie Thomas. This 2-DVD boxed set includes five all-new full-length mysteries plus an interview with Davison. Not the sharpest of detectives, Davies manages to outsmart his adversaries as well as his coworkers. Delightful mystery entertainment from Acorn Media.

MIDSOMER MURDERS, SET 10
Four new, contemporary mysteries in the top-selling British television series set in the cozy villages of Midsomer County, based on the novels of Caroline Graham. John Nettles returns as top cop Tom Barnaby, a likable family man and astute detective, and John Hopkins is his brash young assistant. More very watchable mysteries from Acorn Media.

MIDSOMER MURDERS: THE EARLY CASES

The first collector’s set of the very popular British television mystery series contains the first 18 stand-alone mysteries, plus a bonus disc with a retrospective documentary. The Early Cases Collection restores the episodes to their original United Kingdom broadcast order, including the five mysteries adapted from the novels by Caroline Graham, plus the next 13 original stories inspired by her characters. John Nettles stars with Daniel Casey as his first deputy, with guest stars including Julian Wadham, Prunella Scales, Anna Massey, and Orlando Bloom before he became a movie star. From Acorn Media.

ROUTE 66: SEASON ONE, VOLUME TWO

Trouble Along the Highway is the second half of the debut television season (1960-1961) of the popular road series starring Martin Milner and George Maharis getting their kicks driving Route 66 from Chicago to California. You’ll enjoy going along for a nostalgic ride in this restored DVD series from Infinity Entertainment Group.

SPUTNIK REVEALED traces the Space Age (1957-1969) race between the U.S. and Soviet Union that began with the Soviet launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. New facts and interviews cover the social and political ramifications of the global struggle on both superpowers during those crucial Cold War years. From WGBH Boston Video.

THE TEMPLE MOUNT IS MINE contains two documentaries, In Search of the Holiest Place on Earth and The Battlefield of Faith. Together they tell the story of the rules, religion, and conflicts of the place in Jerusalem that is holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An excellent way to learn about the past and present of this troubled part of the world. From Kultur Video.

JERUSALEM: BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH focuses on the history, religion, and culture of the city which in Hebrew means “City of Peace” but which has been a city of conflict and wars for centuries. Kultur Video.

MARATHON CHALLENGE documents the training and other challenges athletes face in preparing for the famous Boston Marathon. Thousands of athletes from all over the world enter the 16-mile race each year. This NOVA documentary follows 13 sedentary people through a nine-month regimen designed to prepare them for the grueling Boston Marathon. >From WGBH Boston Video.

ART AND PRACTICE OF GARDENING in England, Ireland, and America is perfect viewing in winter to prepare for spring planting. The 2-DVD set features some of the most expert gardeners including Penelope Hobhouse, David Austin Sr., and the late Rosemary Verey. Learn about roses, the country garden, new garden ideas, design basics and other aspects of gardening. From Kultur Video.

SCENIC WILDERNESS OF THE WORLD is a handsome 6-DVD boxed set of Reader’s Digest nature documentaries taking armchair travelers from the U.S. Great Plains to the Pacific, the Canadian north country, Quebec and the Bruce Peninsula, the Serengeti of Africa, Japan’s “Alps,” and America’s national parks. A treasure chest of travelogues from Questar.

SCENIC WALKS OF THE WORLD takes us on more than nine hours of walks to some of the world most scenic places in a boxed set of 6 DVDs from Reader’s Digest. The travels include journeys to New Zealand’s glaciers, Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Austria’s Alps, Peru’s Macchu Picchu, a ride on the legendary Orient Express, the jungles of Ecuador, America’s great parks, and a walk along the Great Wall of China and the historic Silk Road. A virtual world tour from Questar.

SKILL-BUILDING BUDDIES
The series teaches social interaction skills to children with ASD. The newest entry in the series is about handling transitions and change. From Mazzarella Media.

MAGGIE AND THE FEROCIOUS BEAST
Two new entries in the educational/entertainment series are Recipes for Trouble Iin which Maggie and the beast have adventures with pumpkins, the Jelly Bean express, and a contest in who can shout the loudest (not around my house!), and Rain Showers and Spring Flowers which introduces kids to the joys of spring. From Shout Factory.

The Oscars for 2007 achievement are on tonight. Among the nominees are Fredric March, Ingrid Bergman, Spencer Tracy, Barbara Stanwyck, Montgomery Clift, Gary Cooper, Irene Dunne, Walter Brennan, and Fay Bainter. Don’t we wish.

They don’t make actors like those anymore, nor films for them.

The recent rash of school and workplace shootings and killings makes one wonder how long we will tolerate the constant output of violent and sick movies from Hollywood. The answer is simple: not only boycott them by not seeing them or buying DVDs of them, but picket the theaters and DVD rental outlets. Same with violence on television. Not only don’t watch it, but boycott the studios and products that are responsible for them.

Heath Ledger’s death from an apparent overdose of prescription medications was very sad. It looks like the poor guy was overwhelmed, concerned about a career that took off too fast and went too high too soon, coupled with a failed romance that ended his hopes for a happy family life.

I think Hollywood is to blame for pushing him too fast. He didn’t want superstardom at his age and experience. It was pushed on him. He wanted time to discover who he was and what kind of life he could make for himself. Hollywood didn’t give him time for that. Rest in peace, Heath.