Review: "History of the World: Part I" is as Funny as Ever (Happy B'day, Mel Brooks)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 205 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I (1981)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Mel Brooks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Woody Omens (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John C. Howard
COMPOSER: John Morris

COMEDY/HISTORICAL/MUSICAL

Starring: Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Ron Carey, Gregory Hines, Pamela Stephenson, Shecky Greene, Sid Caesar, Mary-Margaret Humes, Rudy De Luca, Andréas Voutsinas, Spike Milligan, and Orson Welles with Barry Levinson and John Hurt

The subject of this movie review is History of the World: Part I, a 1981 comedy film from writer-director Mel Brooks. The film is a parody the various kinds of historical films, including period costume dramas and sword and sandal epics. The catchphrase “It’s good to be the king” originated in this film. History of the World: Part I contains mock coming attractions for “History of the World: Part II,” but that was a joke, as no actual sequel was planned.

Mel Brooks writes, directs, produces, and plays five roles in his comedy semi-classic, History of the World: Part I. The film can be considered an anthology or a series of vignettes that take a farcical, skewered, and wacky view of history from the dawn of man through the cavemen, the Roman Empire, and the Spanish Inquisition, to the French Revolution. The film also features some appearances by Brooks’ films semi-regulars including Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman.

I can’t imagine why Brooks picked the particular pre-historical and historical periods he did; perhaps, they were the funniest to him or he found in them the most to send up. However, the film is only mildly funny until the Spanish Inquisition segment, which is a musical number with a dance routine that even features water ballet. Both the song and the dance numbers are both awesome and freaking hilarious. Perhaps, the film’s best bit is the closing segment, the French Revolution. Some of the most famous quotations from Mel Brooks’ films come from this side-splitting section. It alone is more than reason enough to see this film.

Most of the jokes here are sight gags and anachronisms, but when Brooks and his cast are “on” in this film, the picture really works, as in the aforementioned second half. It’s worth noting that History of the World: Part I is not a great work, but because of it does have some great moments, it’s not to be missed.

7 of 10
B+

Updated: Friday, June 28, 2013

Review: "James and the Giant Peach" a Delight

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 105 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

James and the Giant Peach (1996)
Running time: 79 minutes (1 hour, 19 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some frightening images
DIRECTOR: Henry Selick
WRITERS: Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, Steve Bloom (based upon the book by Roald Dahl)
PRODUCERS: Denise Di Novi and Tim Burton
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Hiro Narita (live action) and Pete Kozachik (animation)
EDITOR: Stan Webb
COMPOSER: Randy Newman
Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/ANIMATION/MUSICAL and ADVENTURE/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: Paul Terry, Simon Callow, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Leeves, Joanna Lumley, Miriam Margolyes, Pete Postlethwaite, Susan Sarandon, and David Thewlis

The subject of this movie review is James and the Giant Peach, a 1996 British-American stop-motion animation film and musical fantasy from director Henry Selick. The film is a co-production of Walt Disney Pictures and the British film production company, Allied Filmmakers.

Stop-motion animation director Henry Selick followed up his 1993 collaboration with Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas, with James and the Giant Peach. Based upon a children’s book by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda), James and the Giant Peach is a mixture of live-action film and stop-motion animation.

While not as well done as Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach is a beautiful film full of flights of fancy and imagination, and Randy Newman’s Oscar-nominated score (“Best Music – Original Musical or Comedy Score”) provides the delightful backdrop and joyous songs to carry the narrative forward. This film is also more for children than Nightmare Before Christmas (which has a large cult following among adults), but the magic of the filmmaking will still impress older viewers.

After a rogue rhinoceros kills his parents, James (Paul Terry) is forced to live with his nasty Aunt Spiker (Joanna Lumley) and Aunt Sponge (Miriam Margolyes), who make him work hard, go hungry, and bar him from having any fun, but when magic causes a giant peach to grow in his aunts’ backyard, James climbs inside the massive fruit to find adventure (at this point the film goes from live action to stop-motion animation). He befriends a group of giant insects that used to live in his yard; the same magic that grew the peach has made them human-like. Together with his new friends, James embarks on a great adventure to the place his parents had planned to take him, New York City.

Paul Terry is strong and engaging as the film’s central character, and the voiceovers are a treat. Listen for Richard Dreyfuss’ delightful turn as the brash and pugnacious Centipede.

7 of 10
A-

July 3, 2005

NOTES:
1997 Academy Awards, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score” (Randy Newman)

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"The Wizard of Oz" Still the Greatest Fantasy Film Ever

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 115 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 mintues)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Victor Fleming
WRITERS: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf (based upon the novel by L. Frank Baum)
PRODUCER: Mervyn LeRoy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Harold Rosson (photographed by: in Technicolor)
EDITOR: Blanche Sewell
COMPOSER: Herbert Stothart
SONGS: Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY/MUSICAL

Starring: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, and Clara Blandick

The subject of this movie review is The Wizard of Oz, a 1939 musical fantasy and adventure film from MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). The film is based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a children’s fantasy novel written by L. Frank Baum and first published in 1900.

Although Victor Fleming was credited as the film’s director, several other directors worked on the film, including King Vidor, George Cuko, and Mervyn LeRoy (who produced the film along with Arthur Freed). In fact numerous people who contributed to this film did not receive any screed credit, such as Arthur Freed (writer and producer), Ogden Nash (writer) and Herman J. Mankeiwicz (writer).

Various critics and popular polls often name it one of the “ten best movies of all time,” and in 2010, the Library of Congress said it was the most watched movie of all time. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve watched it, but I consider The Wizard of Oz to be the greatest fantasy film of all time.

Since it was first released over six decades ago, The Wizard of Oz has stood the test of time as a great fantasy film. And though computers have revolutionized the use of special effects in movies, The Wizard of Oz, with its painted backdrops, handmade costumes, and ordinary makeup effects is as potent as any modern fantasy film filled with super SFX.

In the story, a tornado whisks a Kansas farm girl named Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog Toto to the magical Land of Oz where she encounters many strange and wonderful beings. She embarks upon a quest to the Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz, who reportedly has it in his powers to send Dorothy back to Kansas. Along the way she gathers a group of fellow travelers who also wish a boon from the Wizard: The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) who wants a brain; The Tin Man (Jack Haley) who wants a heart; and The Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. To get what they want, however, they must face off with The Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) who wants a pair of magical ruby slippers that Dorothy wears.

Anyone who has seen The Wizard of Oz is already aware of the magical hold the film has had and continues to have over audiences. Like a good fantasy film, it is filled with fantastical elements, but the heart of the story is the quest for something dear. For Dorothy, it is a way home; for her friends it is something they wrongly believe is missing from their lives and personalities. Like a great family film, The Wizard of Oz endears itself by entertaining all ages with a wonderful story, memorable songs and lines, and loveable characters. It is also in a way an adventure film, but the vicarious thrill of the adventure doesn’t come from destruction, but comes from sharing the quest with friends and loved ones.

The Wizard of Oz is undoubtedly one of the great American films. Watch it, and one can’t help but marvel how the filmmakers came together to make a film that approaches perfection with nearly every scene and in nearly every moment.

10 of 10

NOTES:
1940 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Music, Original Score” (Herbert Stothart) and “Best Music, Original Song” (Harold Arlen-music for E.Y. Harburg-lyrics for the song "Over the Rainbow"); 4 nominations: “Best Picture” (M-G-M), “Best Art Direction” (Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning), “Best Cinematography, Color” (Harold Rosson), and “Best Effects, Special Effects” (A. Arnold Gillespie-photographic and Douglas Shearer-sound)

1939 Cannes Film Festival: 1 nomination: “Palme d'Or” (Victor Fleming)

1989 National Film Preservation Board, USA: National Film Registry

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Review: Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 96 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse (2012) – straight-to-video
Running time: 58 minutes
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS: Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
WRITERS: Earl Kress and Michael F. Ryan; from a story by Earl Kress
EDITOR: Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER: Michael Tavera
SONGS: Michael Tavera, Scott Bradley, Spike Brandt, Alan Burnett, and Michael F. Ryan
ANIMATION STUDIO: Yearim Productions Co. Ltd.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY/MUSICAL

Starring: (voices) Jamie Bamber, Charles Shaughnessy, John Michael Higgins, Grey DeLisle, Joe Alaskey, John DiMaggio, Clive Revill, Phil LaMarr, Richard McGonagle, Greg Ellis, and Jess Harnell

Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse is a 2012 animated direct-to-video film starring the famous cartoon cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this film basically takes Tom and Jerry and places them in a cartoon version of the 1938 Warner Bros. film, The Adventures of Robin Hood, which starred Errol Flynn as Robin Hood. The cartoon Robin Hood in Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse is essentially a caricature of Flynn’s Robin Hood.

Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse is set in a time similar to the High Middle Ages. Prince John (John Michael Higgins) rules England while his brother, King Richard the Lionheart (Clive Revill), is out of the country fighting in the Crusades. Living in Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood (Jamie Bamber) and his Merry Men rob the rich of their coin and treasure and give that loot to the poor.

The Sheriff of Nottingham (Charles Shaughnessy) is determined to capture Robin Hood and tells his boss, Prince John, that he believes that Robin has a spy in the castle. The Sheriff sends his cat-at-arms, Thomas Cat, to capture the spy. Tom catches Jerry Mouse attempting to contact Maid Marian (Grey DeLisle), who is secretly romancing Robin. Thus, cat and mouse begin their small, private war. When the scope of Prince John’s schemes are revealed, however, enemies may have to become friends in order to save both the throne and England.

I didn’t expect much of Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse, but it turned out to be rather entertaining. The art direction for the animation is just a little on the high side of the work that appears in direct-to-DVD productions from Warner Bros. Animation. A faux-musical, the movie’s songs are good. Actually, the songs are surprisingly good, a little better than I would expect of a straight-to-video cartoon.

By the time, Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse ended, I would have enjoyed a little more, so I’ll recommend it to those who have seen other Tom and Jerry DVD movies.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Review: "That Night in Rio" Offers Music and Gaiety" (Remembering Don Ameche)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 83 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

That Night in Rio (1941)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Irving Cummings
WRITERS: George Seaton & Bess Meredyth and Hal Long, with Samuel Hoffenstein (additional dialogue) and Jessie Ernst (adaptation of original play); (based upon the play The Red Cat by Rudolph Lothar and Hans Adler)
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Ray Rennahan and Leon Shamroy
EDITOR: Walter Thompson
COMPOSERS: Mack Gordon and Harry Warren

MUSICAL/COMEDY/ROMANCE

Starring: Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Carmen Miranda, S.Z. Sakall, J. Carroll Naish, Curt Bois, Leonid Kinskey, Frank Puglia, Lillian Porter, and Bando da Lua

20th Century Fox opened up its film vaults back in early 2007 and released several of its musicals from the 1930’s and early 1940’s on DVD, including the 1940 musical/comedy/romance, That Night in Rio (released separately and as part of the four-film The Alice Faye Collection boxed set). The movie’s original tagline “Have a rendezvous with music and gaiety,” is truth in advertising.

Actor/club owner, Jimmy Martin (Don Ameche) and aristocratic airline businessman, Baron Manuel Duarte (Don Ameche), are practically identical twins. When the Baron leaves town to fix a risky business deal, his partners hire Martin to stand in for the Baron. Not knowing that Martin has replace her husband, the Baroness Cecilia Duarte (Alice Faye), finds her philandering husband suddenly more attentive to her. The Baroness later learns that an impersonator has playing her husband, so she decides to have a little fun of her own. When the Baron returns and Martin’s wife Carmen (Carmen Miranda) learns of the scheme, the fun gets a lot more complicated.

That Night in Rio is set in an idealized Rio, Brazil of lavish nightclubs and bouncy samba music. Like many musicals, That Night in Rio was filmed in Technicolor, the film color process known for its hyper-realistic saturated colors. In fact, it exemplifies why Hollywood was then called the “Dream Factory.” The sumptuous production values, gorgeous wardrobes, and opulent sets (all in vivid color) must have looked like heaven to early 1940’s America, which was still working its way out of the Great Depression and living with an increasingly ugly war in Europe that would soon engulf this nation.

This movie opens with a bang, as sparkling fireworks effects over a matte painting give way to Carmen Miranda belting out “Chicka Chicka Boom Chick,” which is but one of several fantastic musical numbers in this film. In fact, Miranda, who became an icon for some and a stereotype for others, enlivens this film, with the able assistance of her band, Bando da Lua. Ostensibly an Alice Faye vehicle, That Night in Rio belongs to the suave and very talented Don Ameche, playing the duel roles of Jimmy Martin and Baron Duarte. Although the film’s screenplay eventually becomes twisted in all this identity switching, Ameche (who would win a supporting actor Oscar for Cocoon 45 years later) makes it go down quite smoothly, and he makes what could have been a merely entertaining flick, a very good movie. People who love old time musical comedy may very well want That Night in Rio to never end.

7 of 10
A-

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Review: Ameche, Nicholas Brothers Dazzle "Down Argentine Way" (Remembering Don Ameche)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 92 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Down Argentine Way (1940)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Irving Cummings
WRITERS: Karl Tunberg and Darrell Ware; from a story by Rian James and Ralph Spence
PRODUCER: Darryl F. Zanuck
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Ray Rennahan (D.o.P.) and Leon Shamroy (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Barbara McLean
COMPOSER: Cyril J. Mockridge
1941 Academy Award nominee

COMEDY/MUSICAL/ROMANCE

Starring: Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Carmen Miranda, Charlotte Greenwood, J. Carroll Naish, Henry Stephenson, Kay Aldridge, Leonid Kinskey, Chris-Pin Martin, Bobby Stone, Charles Judel, and the Nicholas Brothers

20th Century Fox opened its vault back in early 2007 and released several of its delightful Technicolor movie musicals on DVD, including the 1940 film, Down Argentine Way. In the film, American heiress Glenda Crawford (played by pin-up gal and girl-next-door Betty Grable) falls for Ricardo Quintana (Don Ameche), a dashing South American horse breeder.

Glenda is in Argentina to buy horses when she encounters Ricardo, the son of Don Diego Quintana (Henry Stephenson), a champion horse breeder. However, Don Diego won’t sell to Crawfords because of a long-standing feud he has with Glenda’s father. Ricardo follows Glenda back to New York to woo her with a deal for a champion jumping horse, but when that deal goes badly, Ricardo leaves.

Glenda and her aunt, Binnie Crawford (Charlotte Greenwood), follow him back to Argentina, where the new couple attempts to reconcile. The star-crossed lovers face tough odds to stay together. In between all the fussing and fighting, Carmen Miranda sings and the famous Nicholas Brothers (Fayard and Harold) perform a standout, show-stopping song and dance routine. An exciting day at the racetrack is the cherry on top.

One of the most enjoyable of 20th Century Fox’s early 40’s Technicolor musicals, Down Argentine Way is remembered for a few special reasons. It was Betty Grable’s breakthrough film, and it was also Carmen Miranda’s first film. Some will also remember Down Argentine Way for the spectacular dance sequence by the fabulous Nicholas Brothers, one of the few African-America film performers whose film appearances were not routinely edited out by theatres to satisfy racist audiences in some areas of the U.S.

After a slow first hour, Down Argentine Way comes to life after the Nicholas Brothers’ scene. Then, the wonderful comedy and thrilling dance numbers show through what is essentially a flimsy plot with stereotyped characters. Charlotte Greenwood’s Bennie Crawford, J. Carroll Naish’s Casiano, and Leonid Kinskey’s Tito Acuna add constant zany flourishes to this idealized Hollywood version of an exotic South American locale. The dazzling and colorful production values on display in this whimsical and gay musical fantasy are an example of why Hollywood became known as the “Dream Factory.”

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
1941 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Art Direction, Color” (Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright) “Best Cinematography, Color” (Leon Shamroy and Ray Rennahan), and “Best Music, Original Song” (“Down Argentine Way” by Harry Warren-music and Mack Gordon-lyrics)

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Review: Marx Bros. "At the Circus" is Still a Wonderful Circus (Remembering Groucho Marx)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 137 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

At the Circus (1939) – Black & White
Running time: 87 minutes (1 hour, 27 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Edward Buzzell
WRITERS: Irving Breecher
PRODUCER: Mervyn LeRoy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Leonard m. Smith (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: William H. Terhune

COMEDY/MUSICAL

Starring: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx (The Marx Bros.), Kenny Baker, Florence Rice, Eve Arden, Margaret Dumont, James Burke, Nat Pendleton, Barnett Parker, and Fritz Feld

The subject of this movie review is At the Circus, which is also known as The Marx Brothers at the Circus. This 1939 Marx Brothers comedy finds the brothers trying to save a small circus from bankruptcy.

In 1939 the writer/director team of Irving Breecher and Edward Buzzell made two films starring the Marx Brothers, Go West and the comedy/musical At the Circus. By the time of At the Circus, the brothers’ act was already down to the familiar trio of Groucho, Chico, and Harpo, and At the Circus displays a full range of the brothers’ talents as singers, musicians, actors, and comedians.

Jeff Wilson (Kenny Baker) owns a small circus, but he owes his sleazy partner, John Carter (James Burke), $10,000. When Carter calls in the loan, Wilson gets the money much to Carter’s chagrin, so Carter has the circus strongman (Nat Pendleton) and a midget (Barnett Parker) attack Wilson and steal the money. Two carnies (circus employees), Antonio Pirelli (Chico Marx) and Punchy (Harpo Marx), decide to help their boss Jeff, whom they admire, recover the dough. They call in a disingenuous lawyer, J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho Marx), to lead the investigation into the disappearance of the money. But when the money proves difficult to recover, Loophole cooks up a hair-brained scheme to get the dough from Jeff’s wealthy aunt, Mrs. Susan Dukesbury (Margaret Dumont), from whom Jeff is estranged.

While this isn’t the Marx Brothers’ best film, it is a very entertaining and funny comedy with some sparkling musical numbers. The best musical bit features Harpo with a crowd of African-American co-performers that finishes with Harpo on harp while the black folks stand around and grin, gawk, and stare wide-eyed. Groucho, however, shines in this film; he’s at his wittiest and most sarcastic. He carries the film with rapid fire, smart aleck conversation, and while it’s hard to pick his best moment in this film, it could be his innuendo-filled duel with Eva Arden’s Peerless Pauline. Excellent production values top off this breezy comedy, which I heartily recommend.

I remember this as the first Marx Brothers movie I ever saw. I loved At the Circus the first time I saw it, and it still has a special place in my heart. So consider that when reading my review.

7 of 10
B+

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Review: "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" Has Great Songs (Happy B'day, Gene Wilder)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 91 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Mel Stuart
WRITER: Roald Dahl (based upon his book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
PRODUCERS: Stan Margulies and David L. Woper
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Arthur Ibbetson
EDITOR: David Saxon
Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/MUSICAL/FAMILY with elements of comedy

Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, Julie Dawn Cole, Leonard Stone, Denise Nickerson, “Dodo” Nora Denney, Paris Themmen, Ursula Reit, Michael Bollner, Diana Sowle, and Aubrey Woods

The subject of this movie review is Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, a 1971 musical fantasy film starring Gene Wilder. The film is an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Some of the late-author Roald Dahl’s works have been adapted to screen. Perhaps, the best known of these films is Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, taken from Dahl’s book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s a nice movie for children, and two things that certainly make the film worth watching are Gene Wilder (who received a “Best Motion Picture Actor – Musical/Comedy Golden Globe nomination for his performance) and the songs, which received an Oscar nomination for “Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score.”

In the film, the best candies in the world are the chocolate confections of the Wonka Chocolate Factory, owned by the mysterious and reclusive Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder). One day Wonka announces that five lucky candy buyers who find a golden ticket in their Willy Wonka candy bars will be able, with one guest each, to tour his factory. One of the hopefuls is Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum, in his only film role), a boy from an impoverished family. When he finds the last golden ticket, he takes his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) as his guest on the factory tour. Of the five children who find the golden tickets, Willy Wonka has his eyes on Charlie, most of all.

The songs in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory are great, especially “The Candyman” (which became of a staple of Sammy Davis, Jr.’s stage show, although the filmmakers declined to allow Davis to play Bill, the candy store owner who first sings the song in the film) and also the Oompa Loompas theme. The sets look cheap (even for the early 70’s) and are only mildly imaginative in their design. Ultimately, this is a curiosity piece for adults, but a fun and fanciful flick for pre-teen children.

5 of 10
B-

Wednesday, June 8, 2005

NOTES:
1972 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score” (Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley, and Walter Scharf)

1972 Golden Globes, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy” (Gene Wilder)

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"Music of the Vampire" an Average Scooby-Doo Toon

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire (2012) – Video
Running time: 78 minutes (1 hour, 18 minutes)
DIRECTORS: David Block
WRITER: Tom Sheppard
PRODUCERS: Spike Brandt and Tom Cervone
EDITOR: Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER: Andy Sturmer
ANIMATION STUDIO: Digital Emation Inc.

ANIMATION/ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY/MUSICAL

Starring: (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Jim Cummings, Jeff Bennett, Mindy Sterling, Christian Campbell, Rob Paulsen, Jim Wise, Julianne Buescher, Obba Babatunde, and Robert Townsend

Beginning in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Warner Bros. has released direct-to-video animated movies based on the Scooby-Doo cartoon franchise. Except for a few years when two movies have been released, there has been at least one movie a year. Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire is the 17th movie in this direct-to-video series. It is also the second musical in the series, following Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008).

After battling a giant cockroach monster, the Mystery Inc. gang: Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), and, of course, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker), are in need of a vacation – a monster-free vacation. They hop in the Mystery Machine and end up in bayou country (Louisiana?) where they eventually come to Petit Chaure Sourie Ville, which means “Little Bat Town.”

They have been invited to the small town by Vincent Van Helsing (Jeff Bennett), a direct descendant of the famed vampire hunter, Abraham Van Helsing. Vincent has a museum and a parcel of land that he leases to a traveling vampire-themed festival owned by the unscrupulous Lita Rutland (Mindy Sterling). Part of this traveling show is Fangenschanz, a cheesy version of Cirque du Soleil with actors dressed as vampires. During a performance, the Fangenschanz troop apparently awakens a centuries-old vampire, Lord Valdronya (Jeff Bennett). Now, that he is awake, Valdronya wants a bride, and Daphne is the bride he wants.

For the past few years, I’ve been looking forward to each new Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD movie. However, I didn’t have high hopes for Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire, especially after learning that it was a musical. The eight songs (two of which are reprised) aren’t bad, but they aren’t exceptionally good, either. I have seen some good Scooby-Doo movies; this isn’t one of the particularly good one, although it does have some nice moments. My niece, who was visiting recently, watched it numerous times during this just-passed Mother’s Day weekend. I don’t like Music of the Vampire as much as she apparently does, but she is currently in an I-love-everything-Scooby-Doo phase.

What else can I say? I am guessing that children that like Scooby-Doo will like Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire. Adults who are down with the Doo may not like this, or, like me, they will try to find things in Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire to like.

5 of 10
C+

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

"The Muppets" is Muppet-ational

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Muppets (2011)
Running time: 103 minutes (l hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild rude humor
DIRECTOR: James Bobin
WRITERS: Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller
PRODUCERS: David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess
EDITOR: James Thomas
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY/MUSICAL

Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, and Jack Black and The Muppets: (voices) Peter Linz, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Tyler Bunch, and Alice Dinnean with Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, and Zach Galifianakis

The Muppets is a 2011 live-action, musical comedy and fantasy film from Walt Disney Pictures. This Oscar-winning film stars The Muppets, the puppet characters created by the late Jim Henson, specifically the characters that appeared on the television series, “The Muppets” (1976-81). This film finds The Muppets reuniting to save their old theatre from a crooked oil tycoon.

Walter (voice of Peter Linz) is a man born as a Muppet. He lives in Smalltown (presumably a small town in the American Midwest) with his brother, Gary (Jason Segel). Gary has planned a vacation to Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), for their tenth anniversary, and he invites Walter along, so that he can tour the Muppet Studios.

Once in L.A., the trio finds the studio lot abandoned and Muppet Theatre decrepit. Walter happens to overhear Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), a greedy oil tycoon, plotting to seize control of Muppet Theatre, which he also plans to destroy. Walter, Gary, and Mary travel to the mansion of Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmore), and convince him to reunite The Muppets. Kermit wants to put on a telethon to raise the ten million dollars needed to save Muppet Theatre, but The Muppets have not performed together in years and are scattered around the country. Even if Kermit reunites his friends, no television network thinks that The Muppets are still popular or relevant enough to give them the television time they will need to raise so much money.

With the release of The Muppets last year, I got a chance to rediscover my love for these characters. I watched the first television series, The Muppet Show, during its original run and later, in syndication for several years. I must say that I’m pleased with this new movie, which was critically well-received and performed well at the box office. For the most part, these are still The Muppets that I knew and loved and still love.

The new songs are better than I thought they would be. The beguiling, Elton John-esque “Man or Muppet” (written by Bret McKenzie) won a best original song Oscar, but I prefer two other McKenzie-penned songs. “Life’s a Happy Song” and “Me Party” (co-written by Paul Roemen) are the kind of catchy tunes that can stand on their own as lively jingles outside The Muppets (or even be used in another movie).

Early in the film, I found the characters played by Jason Segel and Amy Adams intolerable and intrusive. I was only a little more tolerant of nouveau-faux Muppet, Walter. As Segel’s Gary and Adams’ Mary recede more into the background and take their place as supporting characters, they grew on me… a little. Besides, I find it hard not to like Amy Adams. Truthfully, Gary, Mary, and Walter seem like minor gateway characters that create the contrivances which in turn bring The Muppets back into the picture. By the end of the movie, I liked that the new characters were part of the film.

Of course, the best thing in The Muppets are The Muppets. Whenever they’re singing and dancing and squabbling and trying to keep their stuff together, The Muppets have their mojo, and their mojo is back. By the end of The Muppets, I was sad because I wanted the movie to be longer.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Bret McKenzie for the song "Man or Muppet")

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" Remains Romance Movie Classic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 62 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Lady and the Tramp (1955) – animation
Running time: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
DIRECTORS: Clyde Geronomi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske
WRITERS: Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi, Ralph Wright, and Don DaGradi (based upon the story Happy Dan, the Whistling Dog by Ward Greene)
PRODUCER: Walt Disney
EDITOR: Don Halliday
BAFTA Award nominee

ANIMATION/COMEDY/MUSICAL/ROMANCE with elements of drama

Starring: (voices) Peggy Lee, Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Bill Thompson, Bill Baucom, Stan Freberg, Verna Felton, and Lee Millar

Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 animated romantic film from Walt Disney Pictures. It was the 15th full-length animated feature film from Disney and is based in part on a short story originally published in Cosmopolitan Magazine. The film centers on the growing romantic relationship between two dogs, a female American Cocker Spaniel, who is from an upper middle-class family, and a male mutt who is a stray.

Because of drama and turmoil in her owners’ home, Lady (Barbara Luddy), a pampered and sheltered cocker spaniel, wanders away from the safety of her neighborhood and meets Tramp (Larry Roberts), a jolly, freedom-loving, and streetwise mutt with a heart of gold. They share romantic adventures that occasionally imperil their safety while they move towards an inevitable union. Memorable songs (written by Sonny Burke and Peggy Lee) and memorable characters including the twin Pekingese cats, Si and Am (Peggy Lee), highlight this classic, Disney’s fifteenth animated feature.

Lady and the Tramp remains Walt Disney’s signature romantic animated film; although romance often plays a part in their full-length animated films; this is the Disney animated love story. It exemplifies two particular elements that really stand out in a Disney animated features – the art of beauty and technical skills. The character animation is beautifully drawn making even characters meant to be ugly or villainous quite gorgeous and handsome eye candy. The background art, backdrops, and sets are also elegant, even stunning. The technical virtuosity on display is simply dazzling; this is text book work on animating animals. Characters move with such grace and precision that the film looks, on one hand, like museum quality high art, and, on the other hand, has such striking realism in terms of movement and rhythm.

Lady and the Tramp is probably best known for its romantic heart. A melodic score, charming and adorable songs, and the star-crossed pair of Lady and the Tramp make this an animated film that captures the romantic in the hearts of young and old viewers. That’s why this film is so memorable and also well-remembered by adults who first saw it as a child – a true Disney classic.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, April 2, 2006

NOTES:
1956 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Film” (USA)

Review: "The Muppet Movie" Still Moves Me

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 96 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Muppet Movie (1979)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: James Frawley
WRITERS: Jack Burns and Jerry Juhl
PRODUCER: Jim Henson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Isidore Mankofsky
EDITOR: Chris Greenbury
COMPOSER: Paul Williams
SONGS: Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher
Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/COMEDY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY

Starring: The Muppets, (voices) Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz; Charles Durning, Austin Pendleton, Edgar Bergen, Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Elliot Gould, Madeline Kahn, Steve Martin, Cloris Leachman, Richard Pryor, Bob Hope, James Coburn, Milton Berle, and Orson Welles

The Muppet Movie is a 1979 live-action, comic fantasy film and musical. This Oscar-nominated film stars The Muppets, the puppet characters created by the late Jim Henson, specifically the characters that appeared on the television series, “The Muppets” (1976-81). A film-within-in-a-film, The Muppet Movie tells the story of how The Muppets came together, or, as Kermit the Frog says, “It’s sort of approximately how it happened.”

The film begins with Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) relaxing in a Florida swamp on a sunny afternoon, when a Hollywood agent tells him that he should pursue a career in Hollywood. Inspired by the idea of “making millions of people happy,” Kermit begins a cross-country journey, at first by bicycle. After an accident, Kermit teams up with Fozzie Bear (Frank Oz) and resumes the trip in Fozzie’s Studebaker. Along the way, they pick up fellow travelers like The Great Gonzo (Dave Goelz) and his mate, Camilla the Chicken (Jerry Nelson), and of course, Miss Piggy (Frank Oz).

Meanwhile, the villainous Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) and his assistant, Max (Austin Pendleton), pursue them. The Colonel Sanders-like Hopper is the owner of a “French-fried frog legs” fast food franchise, and he wants Kermit to be the new spokesman for the franchise. After Kermit says no, Hopper chases him, making offers that become increasingly threatening.

Prior to this recent viewing, I had not seen The Muppet Movie since the early 1980s (I think), but I remember liking it. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it now, but it turns out that I still love the movie. Is the reason nostalgia? No, The Muppet Movie is simply an excellent film. As a film musical, it has terrific songs from Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher, and three of them (“Rainbow Connection,” “Movin’ Right Along,” and “Can You Picture That?”) are great.

As a comedy, it is sharp and smart, surprisingly so for a film that is aimed at children, although “The Muppet Show,” was meant to appeal to both children and adults. There is sly innuendo, clever word play, and snappy dialogue. The film even offers satire, such as its skewering of the desire to be famous for entertaining.

And hell, ya’ll, it’s the Muppets. What could be unlikable about them? I look forward to my next viewing of The Muppet Movie, and I want to encourage you, dear readers, to see it if you haven’t already or to just see it again.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1980 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Music, Original Song” (Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher for the song "The Rainbow Connection") and “Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score” (Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher)

1980 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher for the song "Rainbow Connection")

2009 National Film Preservation Board, USA: “National Film Registry”

Monday, November 21, 2011

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Review: "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" is a Great 1999 Film (Happy B'day, Trey Parker)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 176 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) - animated
Running time: 81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive vulgar language and crude sexual humor, and for some violent images
DIRECTOR: Trey Parker
WRITERS: Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Pam Brady (based upon the TV series created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker)
PRODUCERS: Trey Parker and Matt Stone
EDITOR: John Venzon
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/COMEDY/MUSICAL/WAR

Starring: (voice) Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, Isaac Hayes, George Clooney, Brent Spiner, Minnie Driver, Dave Foley, Eric Idle, Nick Rhodes, Stewart Copeland, and Mike Judge

I could list several films that were better than Oscar® winner for “Best Picture” of 1999, American Beauty. One of them is South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the film version of the hit animated series, “South Park,” on cable television channel, Comedy Central. The film did earn an Oscar® nomination in the category of “Best Music, Original Song,” and it should have won. But where it really counts, the film won – it is as good as the best episodes of the series.

Our heroic quartet: Stan Marsh (Trey Parker), Eric Cartman (Parker), Kyle Broslofski (Matt Stone), and Kenny McCormick (Stone) sneak into a theatre to see the R-rated film of Canadian bad boy duo, Terrance & Phillip, entitled Asses of Fire. The film, a wall-to-wall profanity-laden musical, warps the little boys’ minds, and they begin to freely used the most vulgar language in everyday speech. Kyle’s mother, Sheila Broslofski (Mary Kay Bergman), is horrified, so she leads the other boys’ parents in a massive crusade against Terrance and Phillip.

In true fanatical organized censorship fashion, her coalition against filth goes overboard. The parents pressure the United States government to declare war on Canada (because they generate lots of filth that finds it way to America), and to have Terrance and Phillip publicly executed just before the U.S. military invades Canada. Meanwhile, in Hell, Satan and his homosexual lover, Saddam Hussein (Stone), eagerly await the execution. For when Terrance & Phillip’s blood touches the earth, it will open a portal from Hell to Earth from which Satan and Saddam will launch an invasion.

The quality of the animation (crude and crudely manipulated paper cutout animated figures) and comedy (naughty) of the film is about the same as the TV series, except the hardcore R-rated vulgarity and profanity that would be edited out of even the series makes its way to the film. What the film has that the show doesn’t is a wonderfully satirical and farcical song score. There are certainly better musical and song scores in film history, but none are as ribald, as bold, and as hilarious as these songs.

The most important thing about South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is that it is so subversive. The TV series has always used satire and farce to make political and social commentary. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone take their hardest hits at ultra conservative, too liberal, bigoted, and politically correct America. But the part of the U.S. that takes the biggest hit is the dishonesty of adults: lying to children, not explaining to them why they should be protected from certain things, cheating, stealing, and selfishness. Parker and Stone do it while making you laugh so hard at their outrageous sense of humor. I don’t know which is their best talent, humor or commentary; they do both so well that’s it’s unfair to most others who try both.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2000 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Music, Original Song” (Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman for the song "Blame Canada")

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Review: "Chicago" is Bold and Splash (Happy B'day, Rob Marshall)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Chicago (2002)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content and dialogue, violence and thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Rob Marshall
WRITER: Bill Condon (based upon the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and the musical by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb)
PRODUCER: Martin Richards
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dion Beebe (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Martin Walsh
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman
2003 Academy Award winner

MUSICAL/CRIME/DRAMA with elements of comedy

Starring: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Colm Feore, Christine Baranski, Dominic West, and Mya

Adulterous Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) kills her lover after he boldly admits lying to her and stringing her along. Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) kills her song and dance partner sister and her own husband when she catches them knocking boots. Both end up in the same dark and dank prison awaiting trial, clients of William “Billy” Flynn (Richard Gere), a flamboyant lawyer who specializes in representing gals who’ve killed their husbands and lovers. Under the tutelage of Matron “Mama” Morton (Queen Latifah), the girls struggle to escape the gallows for their crimes and strive for fame in scandal laden 1920’s Chicago.

Yes, it’s good, damn good. Director/choreographer Rob Marshall’s Chicago, a film version of the famed musical, is a thoroughly enjoyable and invigorating film spectacle. If this and Moulin Rouge! represent what the return of film musicals will look like, we are in for a treat. Marshall choreographed “Annie” and “Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” for television. In his film, he creates lavish and electrical dance scenes of the musical’s songs and integrates them with the dark and gritty world of 20’s Chicago. The colorful staged renditions of the songs flit back and forth showing us the idealized worlds of the characters, juxtaposed against the brutal frankness of their real world. The dance numbers are stirring and attention grabbing, as visually attractive as anything on MTV.

Screenwriter Bill Condon, who won an Academy Award for writing his film Gods and Monsters, does an excellent job composing a story that can compete with the energy and electricity of the songs. That’s no easy feat. Condon had to structure the story so that we would be as interested in it as we were thrilled by the songs. Chicago’s central story is rife with engaging tension and conflict and with characters we can support along every step of their treacherous journey.

Can Ms. Zellweger, Ms. Zeta-Jones, and Mr. Gere sing and dance? The answer is a resounding “yes!” Seeing them in the staged numbers and in the story scenes is like watching six different performers. I had a hard time believing the actors and singer/dancers were the same people; I know these performers and to see them pull off these performances is a revelation. I didn’t know Gere had it in him. It’s simply stunning and worth every minute of your time to watch.

The supporting performances are quite nice. Queen Latifah’s presence asserts itself strongly on the film; it often seems as if Mama is the puppeteer backstage directing events. Taye Diggs adds a sense of style to the film, and John C. Reilly quietly adds a sense of innocence and moral dignity to a story of people ready to grab fame at any costs.

Chicago, like Moulin Rouge!, is not like your average film. In fact, it’s very different from most quality and “serious” films. Like a good drama, it’s thoughtful; like the best action movies, it’s quite explosive. Chicago is a dream work, a film that is as visually rambunctious as the best music videos, but with the strong story and characters that you can take to heart – a must see movie.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 6 wins: “Best Picture” (Martin Richards), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Catherine Zeta-Jones), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (John Myhre-art director and Gordon Sim-set decorator), “Best Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood), “Best Film Editing” (Martin Walsh), and “Best Sound” (Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella, and David Lee); 6 nominations: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (John C. Reilly), “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Renée Zellweger), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Queen Latifah), “Best Cinematography” (Dion Beebe), “Best Director” (Rob Marshall), “Best Music, Original Song” (John Kander-music and Fred Ebb-lyrics for the song "I Move On"), and “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Bill Condon)

2003 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and “Best Sound” (Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella, David Lee, and Maurice Schell); 10 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Danny Elfman, John Kander, and Fred Ebb), “Best Cinematography” (Dion Beebe), “Best Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood), “Best Editing” (Martin Walsh), “Best Film” (Martin Richards), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Jordan Samuel and Judi Cooper-Sealy), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Renée Zellweger), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Queen Latifah), “Best Production Design” (John Myhre), and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Rob Marshall)

2003 Golden Globes: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Martin Richards), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Richard Gere), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Renée Zellweger); 5 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Rob Marshall), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (John C. Reilly), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Catherine Zeta-Jones), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Queen Latifah), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Bill Condon)

2003 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Theatrical - Best Supporting Actress” (Queen Latifah)

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Review: Tim Burton and Henry Selick's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is Indeed a Timeless Classic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 104 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Running time: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some scary images
DIRECTOR: Henry Selick
WRITERS: Caroline Thompson, from a story by Tim Burton and an adaptation by Michael McDowell
PRODUCERS: Tim Burton and Denise DiNovi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Pete Kozachik (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Stan Webb
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/COMEDY/MUSICAL/HORROR/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page, and Ed Ivory

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 stop motion animation film. A musical fantasy film, it is directed by Henry Selick and is also the creation of acclaimed director, Tim Burton.

Next to Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, my favorite Christmas film is The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s a technique in which the filmmakers use models instead of hand drawn animation. To get even one second of film, the makers shoot anywhere from 25 to 35 photographs of the models, moving them ever so slightly for each photograph. Seen in film speed, it looks as if the models are moving – almost the same technique as hand drawn animation, except this is with models.

Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon; Danny Elfman provides Jack’s singing voice) is the Pumpkin King, the man who makes Halloween happen, but he’s suddenly bored doing the same thing year after year. In this story, each holiday (like Easter and Valentine’s Day) has it’s own land just Halloween has Halloweentown. Jack accidentally discovers Christmas Town, and he’s taken by the vibrant and warm colors of the holiday. He decides to kidnap Santa Claus (Ed Ivory) and have the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloweentown help him take over Christmas. However, Jack doesn’t quite get the concept of Christmas, and he replaces the traditional gifts of the season with thingies more appropriate for his holiday. The whole town is taken with the idea, and it seems that only Sally (Catherine O’Hara), Jack’s secret admirer, sees the error of Jack’s new direction.

There is so much that is wonderful with this picture. The stop-motion animation gives the film a quirky and offbeat rhythm that makes watching the film irresistible. Clearly, director Selick is in love with this method, and it shows in the lovingly moody and charmingly dark atmosphere. The animators, the art staff, and the model makers come together to make a movie that has an elegant beauty even in its darkly mysterious and gothic world. The film is a charming concoction that recalls Edward Gorey and Charles Addams (especially his “Addams Family cartoons for the New Yorker) and even Tim Burton’s brilliant film, Beetlejuice, among other things. There’s so much for the eye to take in and never has the creepy seemed so lovely. There is very little in American cinema that looks like this film.

Until I heard it, I never believed that Danny Elfman’s song score and music for this film could be so good. Not only does he make this a fine film musical, Elfman also takes the film to a higher level. As good as Nightmare is, it is Elfman who really sells the story. The concept is a novelty (born from a Tim Burton poem), and a one-note idea at that, and the script is pretty flat; sometimes the story didn’t seem to be going anywhere. However, Elfman gives it life; it’s his songs that express the longings, emotions, and ideas within the film, which are essentially about being yourself and being true to your game.

The voice acting is excellent. Clearly everyone was having a grand time doing this, and we will have a great time watching it. This is one time where I have mad love for the people who made the film.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1994 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Pete Kozachik, Eric Leighton, Ariel Velasco-Shaw, and Gordon Baker)

1994 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Danny Elfman)

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Disney's "Tangled" is Nappy Goodness

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 29 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tangled (2010)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG for brief mild violence
DIRECTORS: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
WRITER: Dan Fogelman (based on the fairy tale by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm)
PRODUCER: Roy Conli
EDITOR: Tim Mertens
COMPOSER: Alan Menken
SONGS: Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/MUSICAL/COMEDY/FAMILY with elements of an action movie

Starring: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul F. Tompkins, and Richard Kiel

The 3D animated film Tangled is the 50th full-length animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Based upon the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel, Tangled is, to date, the most expensive animated film ever made, and the money is well spent. Tangled simply surprised me with how enjoyable and, quite frankly, how wonderful it is.

The story focuses Princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a young woman whose parents are a king and queen, but Rapunzel has not seen them since she was an infant. The only parent she knows is Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), a centuries-old woman who stole Rapunzel because of her hair’s magical properties. Gothel keeps Rapunzel isolated in a tower and harnesses the power of Rapunzel ever-growing hair to keep herself young. On her 18th birthday, Rapunzel asks Gothel to allow her to briefly leave the tower. Rapunzel wants to see in person the release of the thousands of sky lanterns that just so happens every year on her birthday. Gothel vehemently refuses.

While Gothel is away, fate steps in when a young, fugitive thief named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) arrives at the tower. Rapunzel makes a deal with Rider for him to escort her to the festival of the sky lanterns. With the help of Maximus, a palace guard’s horse, and Pascal, her pet chameleon, Rapunzel and Flynn battle obstacles, including Gothel and Flynn’s former partners, the Stabbington Brothers (Ron Perlman), as their adventure begins to unravel the truth about Rapunzel.

Tangled is like neither Pixar’s computer-animated films nor Disney’s other 3D animated films (like Chicken Little or Meet the Robinsons). Tangled recalls Disney’s animated musical fantasies of two decades ago, especially Beauty and the Beast (1991). This film finds its spirit in songs, anachronistic gags, and the usual mayhem of comic adventure. The animation, however, is old-fashioned Disney. This time technology and software create character drawn in soft lines and shapes, as if they were hand drawn. The production design invents landscapes, cityscapes, scenery, interiors and sets that make the movie look like an oil painting on canvas. The colors are dazzling, and the “sky lantern” sequence (“I See the Light”) evokes magic.

The character animation is surprisingly fluid for a computer-animated film. The characters move with grace, and the vivid facial movement of the characters draw attention to their expressive eyes. The voice performances are quite good, especially Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Zachary Levi as Flynn. They give their characters complexity and depth, which makes everything about Rapunzel and Flynn seem genuine – from Rapunzel’s wide-eyed curiosity and innocence to Flynn’s rascally nature and his good heart.

Tangled is the new-look 3D animation with the old school, hand drawn charm. It proves that sometimes the classic Disney style is still the best.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2011 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Alan Menken and Glenn Slater for "I See the Light")

2011 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Animated Film” and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” ("I See the Light")

Saturday, April 02, 2011

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Review: "Sweeney Todd" is Bloody Good" (Happy B'day, Dante Ferretti)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Running time: 116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)
MPAA – R for graphic bloody violence
DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
WRITER: John Logan (based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler; originally stage by Harold Prince)
PRODUCERS: Richard D. Zanuck, Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, and John Logan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dariusz Wolski, ASC
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E.
2008 Academy Award winner

MUSICAL/DRAMA/HORROR

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener, and Edward Sanders

Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) brings the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim to life in his wonderfully gruesome film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, based on the Tony Award-winning musical by Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler. Burton keeps most of the songs from the musical and joins his frequent leading man, Johnny Depp, for the sixth time to make fantastically macabre movie magic, one that demands that the audience accept the gory reality of murder if it’s going to be entertained by bloody revenge.

Escaping two decades of false imprisonment in Australia, Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) returns to London and vows to kill the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and his nefarious henchman, Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), who framed him on trumped-up criminal charge in order to steal his wife. However, Barker has learned that his wife, Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly), poisoned herself, and his now grown daughter, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), is Turpin’s ward.

Adopting the guise of Sweeney Todd, Barker resumes his trade as a barber. He sets up his business in his old Barber Shop above the pie-making premises of Mrs. Nellie Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who falls for the mad barber. After killing a rival who threatens to expose Sweeney’s real identity, Todd devises with Mrs. Lovett an inhuman scheme that will both get rid of the body and save Mrs. Lovett’s ailing meat pie business. Todd begins to murder his customers, cutting their throats, and Mrs. Lovett uses their flesh as the filling for her pies.

Meanwhile, Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower), the young sailor who rescued Sweeney from the sea, has fallen madly in love with Johanna and becomes the target of Turpin’s ire, for Turpin wants to marry his young ward. Mrs. Lovett’s pies soon become the talk of London, and as business booms, she dreams of respectability and a life at the seaside with Sweeney as her husband and her young charge, Toby (Edward Sanders), alongside as her adopted son. Sweeney Todd has only one thing on his mind – cutting Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford’s throats so severely that their arterial sprays will paint his walls.

While it may be true that Johnny Depp doesn’t have a quality singing voice, he is a great actor, and his frequent collaborator Tim Burton is a great director. In Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the two of them make a splendid film musical, as good, and in some ways better, than recent screen musicals Chicago, Dreamgirls, and Moulin Rouge.

Depp, all brooding, smoldering, and quite mad, as Sweeney Todd is mesmerizing on screen. His Todd is a rich character capable of so many moods and so very capable of feigning civility and humanity when there is never a moment in this movie when Todd isn’t at heart, a freaking homicidal maniac. It’s no wonder that Depp earned his third Oscar nomination as a lead actor. His colleagues in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can see how wonderfully fertile this character is, simply because this amazing actor can create a profound character, almost out of thin air.

Burton, often criticized for focusing on whimsical, macabre, and almost pop gothic films instead of “serious” subject matter, seems to distill everything he has done thus far in cinema into this one gruesome, luminous jewel. Burton’s creative and technical collaborators have fashioned some of the most imaginative and decorative costumes and sets. His cinematographers, editors, and lighting crews have made inventive uses of the tools and equipment of their trades and crafts. Burton is not only able to get the best of his technical staff, he is also able to get them to go out of the ordinary when it comes to creating visual splendor. Sweeney Todd is the movie where everything he has done has come together to produce the epitome of his visual style. It’s like an astonishing colorful ode to Italian filmmaker, Mario Bava, an influence on Burton.

That’s not to say that this is the Burton/Depp show alone. Stephen Sondheim’s music is not only divine, but is also excellent at storytelling, character defining, and mood making. Helena Bonham Carter, a thoroughly underrated and underutilized actress, is a surprisingly spry singer with a beautiful voice. She’s a scene stealer here, and one can argue that the film is as much her Mrs. Lovett’s as it is Depp’s murderous Todd. To put it simply, the people who made this movie made a great movie, a deliciously demented great movie.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2008 Academy Awards: 1 winner for “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (Dante Ferretti-art director and Francesca Lo Schiavo-set decorator) and 2 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Johnny Depp) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood)

2008 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Colleen Atwood) and “Best Make Up and Hair” (Ivana Primorac)

2008 Golden Globes: 2 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Johnny Depp); 2 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Tim Burton) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Helena Bonham Carter)

Friday, April 25, 2008

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Review: Walt Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" is Still Glorious Three Decades Later

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Running time: 84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
WRITERS: Linda Woolverton; from a story by Brenda Chapman, Burny Mattinson, Brian Pimental, Joe Ranft, Kelly Asbury, Christopher Sanders, Kevin Harkey, Bruce Woodside, Tom Ellery and Robert Lence (based upon the story by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont)
PRODUCER: Don Hahn
EDITORS: John Carnochan with Bill Wilner
COMPOSER: Alan Menken
SONGS: Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ROMANCE/COMEDY with elements of action

Starring: (voices) Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Pierce, Rex Everhart, and Jesse Corti

Until a few days ago, I hadn’t watched the entirety of Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 19 years, and after enjoying it as much as I did recently, I can say that this tale did not grow old with time. Beauty and the Beast is still dazzling… and timeless.

Disney’s film is based on the fairy tale La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont and also takes a view elements from the 1946 French film based upon the same fairy tale. This animated take on a classic fairy tale is set in 18th century France and focuses on two characters.

First, there is Beast (Robby Benson). He was once a cold-hearted young prince transformed by an enchantress into a monster. Now, he is virtually a prisoner inside his forlorn castle. The second is Belle (Paige O’Hara), an unusual young woman who lives in nearby village with her inventor father, Maurice (Rex Everhart). Belle spends her days reading books and yearning for a life beyond her provincial village. She does have a suitor, Gaston (Richard White), a conceited local hero and fearsome hunter, but Belle has no interest in him.

When her father becomes the Beast’s prisoner, Belle offers herself in his place. Although she is cold and aloof to the Beast, Belle warms to his servants, a large group of magical, talking furniture and household times, including Lumière (Jerry Orbach), the candelabra and maître d’; Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers), the clock and majordomo, and Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), the teapot and head of the castle’s kitchens. They all hope that Belle falls in love with the Beast, because only love can unravel the curse that hangs over them and the castle. But time is running out!

Beauty and the Beast is a Broadway style musical like the 1989 Walt Disney animated feature, The Little Mermaid. Here the songs, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, both move the narrative forward and embellish the story’s mood and themes. In fact, the moods, emotions, and colors of the songs themselves are vivid and clear; on their own, they’re memorable numbers that will stay with you long after you’ve seen this movie.

The quality of the songs actually symbolizes everything that is terrific about this movie. The mix of hand-drawn animation and computer-generated imagery and computer-aided coloring blend seamlessly and do nothing to keep Beauty and the Beast from looking like it belongs with Disney’s animated classics of the past. The lush, sparkling colors and lavish set designs bring the fairytale to life and make it feel magical.

The fluid animation, the hallmark of Walt Disney animation (often described as creating the illusion of life) is clearly evident in this film. Combine that quality of animation with the excellent performances of the voice actors and the endearing characters not only spring to life; they are also hard to forget – even after 19 years. I am sure that I will continue to watch Beauty and the Beast, but this time I won’t wait so long to visit my friends again.

10 of 10

NOTES:
1992 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Music, Original Score” (Alan Menken) and “Best Music, Original Song” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song "Beauty and the Beast"); 4 nominations: “Best Picture” (Don Hahn), “Best Music, Original Song” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song "Belle"), “Best Music, Original Song” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song "Be Our Guest"), and “Best Sound” (Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David J. Hudson, and Doc Kan)

1993 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Original Film Score” (Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) and “Best Special Effects” (Randy Fullmer)

1992 Golden Globes: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Alan Menken) and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song "Beauty and the Beast"); 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Alan Menken-music and Howard Ashman-lyrics for the song "Be Our Guest")

Saturday, January 08, 2011

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Review: Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge!" is Half Brilliant, Half Ridiculous

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 19 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content
DIRECTOR: Baz Luhrmann
WRITERS: Craig Pearce and Baz Luhrmann
PRODUCERS: Fred Baron, Martin Brown, and Baz Luhrmann
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Donald M. McAlpine (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jill Bilcock
Academy Award winner

MUSICAL/ROMANCE

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, Garry McDonald, Jacek Koman, Matthew Whittet, and Kerry Walker

Christian (Ewan McGregor), an impoverished young poet from Scotland, arrives in Montmarte, France and falls in with a group of Bohemians led by Henri Ramone de Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo), against the wishes of his father. Like the young poet, the Bohemians believe in freedom, truth, beauty, and most of all love, and they want to stage a show in the legendary Moulin Rouge, the home of the Paris’s colorful and diverse underworld where the wealthy rub shoulders with the working class, artists, bohemians, actresses, and courtesans.

Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent, Iris), the impresario of the Moulin Rouge, wants a backer so that he could turn his haven of sex and drugs into a proper theatre. His wealthy quarry is The Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh) who is willing to give the money for the renovation, but, in return, he wants for his possession the Moulin Rouge’s most popular attraction, the beautiful courtesan and the stuff of which dreams are made, Satine (Nicole Kidman). The stop in Zidler’s plans and in the Duke's desires comes in the form of Christian. He becomes the playwright of the show that would transform the Moulin Rouge, and he falls hopelessly in love with Satine, much the chagrin of the vindictive Duke.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann (William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet), Moulin Rouge! is an extravaganza of modern popular music, flashing lights, sumptuous sets, colorful costumes, and dazzling production numbers. Like the title of the Bohemians’ play that Christian composes, Moulin Rouge! is a “spectacular spectacular.” As beautiful and as breathtaking as everything is, Moulin is more about visual noise than it is about visual storytelling.

At some moments, the cacophony of music and songs intertwined like drunken snakes is quite nice, at other moments, it is a melding of pretension, misfires, and nonsense. However, even in those moments excess, Moulin Rouge! remains engaging and beautiful. Even when you’re bored, you can’t take your eyes away from the gorgeous sights, nor can your ear not seek out the secrets of the sonic mélange. The cinematography (Donald McAlpine who also worked on Luhrmann’s Romeo) captures the rich palette with the flare of a romantic classical painter. Production design (Catherine Martin), art direction (Ann-Marie Beauchamp), and set decoration (Brigitte Broch) are not only some of the best of the year, but some of the best ever.

Kudos to the actors for maintaining their crafts amidst the energy of Luhrmann’s film. Ms. Kidman has never been more beautiful (and she is always beautiful), her face a luminous globe in Moulin Rouge!’s dance of colors. She is a swooning siren, an intoxicating temptress, and gorgeous martyr. Ewan McGregor is the young poet eager to teach the world his overriding belief in truth, beauty, freedom, and love, but he is able to turn jealous and angry at a moment’s notice. It is in his face that we can see the overwhelming optimism of “love conquerors all: that seems to be a theme of this film. Even in sadness, there remains in young Christian’s face, the strength of love.

Moulin Rouge! is in its execution meant to be a cinematic experience like no other. That it is. It seeks to overwhelm the viewer with sound and images, though the images and sounds are often static and junk. It looks so good on the screen, and the movie moves madly about the screen. It loses the story amidst the sound and the spectacle, so sometimes it seems nonsensical. Moulin Rouge! tries the patience of the viewer, and the film hints that it could have been something more. Better luck next time.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2002 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Catherine Martin-art director and Brigitte Broch-set decorator) and “Best Costume Design” (Catherine Martin, Angus Strathie); 6 nominations: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Nicole Kidman), “Best Cinematography” (Donald McAlpine), “Best Editing” (Jill Bilcock), “Best Makeup” (Maurizio Silvi and Aldo Signoretti” “Best Picture” (Fred Baron, Martin Brown, and Baz Luhrmann), “Best Sound” (Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Roger Savage, and Guntis Sics)

2002 BAFTA Awards: 3 wins: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Craig Armstrong and Marius De Vries), “BAFTA Film Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jim Broadbent), and “Best Sound” (Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Roger Savage, Guntis Sics, Gareth Vanderhope, and Antony Gray); 9 nominations: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Chris Godfrey, Andy Brown, Nathan McGuinness, and Brian Cox), “Best Cinematography” (Donald McAlpine), “Best Costume Design” (Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie), “Best Editing” (Jill Bilcock), “Best Film” (Martin Brown, Baz Luhrmann, and Fred Baron), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Maurizio Silvi and Aldo Signoretti), “Best Production Design” (Catherine Martin), “Best Screenplay – Original” (Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce) and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Baz Luhrmann)

2002 Golden Globes: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Craig Armstrong), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Nicole Kidman); 3 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Baz Luhrmann) and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (David Baerwald for the song "Come What May") and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Ewan McGregor)

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Review: "Dreamgirls" a Delightful Spin on Music History (Happy B'day, Beyonce)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 77 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Dreamgirls (2006)
Running time: 131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language, some sexuality, and drug content
DIRECTOR: Bill Condon
WRITER: Bill Condon (based upon the original Broadway Production Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen)
PRODUCER: Laurence Mark
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tobias Schliessler
EDITOR: Virginia Katz, A.C.E.
Academy Award winner

MUSICAL/DRAMA

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Sharon Leal, and Hinton Battle

Writer/director Bill Condon wrote the screenplay that brought the famous musical Chicago to the screen in 2002, and the film went onto to win six Academy Awards including "Best Picture" in 2003. Condon, who won an Oscar for writing his 1998 film Gods and Monsters, takes on the movie musical again with Dreamgirls, a film adaptation of the beloved 1981 Tony Award-winning musical of the same name. Condon uses music (featuring the score of Henry Krieger, who also scored the original musical) and song to drive this film into a memorable musical experience that recreates a particular period in American music.

In 1960's Detroit, an African-American singing trio, the Dreamettes - Deena Jones (Beyoncé Knowles), Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose), and lead singer Effie White (Jennifer Hudson), are trying to make it to the big time. They arrive at a big talent show in their cheap wigs and homemade dresses. The Dreamettes perform songs written by Effie's brother, C.C. (Keith Robinson), who also choreographs their dancing.

They get their big break when they meet Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jaime Foxx), an ambitious car salesman determined to make his mark on the music industry. He wants to form his own record label and get its music heard on mainstream radio stations - meaning white-owned - in a time when the Civil Rights movement is still struggling to get a foothold and when black recording artists are mostly marginalized. He sees the Dreamettes as the right angle to make that move to the mainstream. They've got the right talent and could be the right product to sell - if Curtis can shape it all the way he sees fit.

Curtis talks the girls into allowing him to become their manager, and he gets them a gig singing backup for James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy), a pioneer of the new Detroit sound that blends soul music and rock 'n' roll. Early, however, is stuck singing on the "Chitlin' Circuit," which, at the time, meant mostly black-owned clubs. Curtis promises Early to move him into the mainstream, replacing Early's original manager, Marty Madison (Danny Glover), but that's not the only changes Curtis plans on making. He changes the Dreamettes name to the Dreams, and moves to replace Effie as the lead singer. As a new musical age dawns and Curtis' new sound takes hold, some people are fading away and others are finding that their dreams have come true, but at a high price.

Dreamgirls is indeed a movie musical, pretty much in the fine tradition of Hollywood musicals, except that its major characters are all black. It's an absolutely lovely film. In terms of the film's creative staff (art direction, costumes, cinematography, etc.), Dreamgirls is as good as any in recent memories, and the Dreams' costumes seem right out of a musical dream. Tobias Schliessler's cinematography creates a crystal clear heavenly aura of color that mixes the hyper-reality of the music world with the harsh reality of failure and betrayal.

The acting is quite good, but the singing is what makes these performances so memorable. As an actress, Jennifer Hudson isn't yet as skilled as some she beat out for the Oscar she earned for this film, but film performances aren't always built just on dialogue and physical movement. What put her over the top were those extraordinary pipes. Watching this film, it's easy to see why she amazed people with both her powerful, booming voice and her ability to interpret songs. Coming from a novice actress, she impressed enough awards voters to win all the big prizes.

In fact, so much of this movie's narrative and characterization is done through song. Jaime Foxx and Beyoncé Knowles who are professional singers sound better than they ever have. Eddie Murphy who has recorded albums using a voice that imitated other singers, but was on its own not distinctive, sounds better than I thought it was possible. Anika Noni Rose, as Lorrell, is a classically trained actress, Broadway veteran, and Tony Award winner, and she sounds great in a part that puts her character in the shadow of Knowles and Hudson's.

Condon deserves so much of the credit for bringing actors singing and singers acting together to create an ensemble cast that brings this colorful fantasy to life. Dreamgirls is a musical, but it is also a musical revue and music-filled overview of a time when African-American music was trying to break into the mainstream. In that, Dreamgirls is an intimate look at the lives of black artists, entertainers, musicians, singers, composers, and businessmen. The songs may unite the audience, but the experience of the African-American struggle to be accepted in the wider society and culture may seem foreign to so many. Still, Condon's colorful song-filled, dreamy myth making of real musical history will delight many for a long time to come.

10 of10

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 2 wins: "Best performance by an actress in a supporting role" (Jennifer Hudson) and "Best achievement in sound mixing" (Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer, and Willie D. Burton); 6 nominations: "Best performance by an actor in a supporting role" (Eddie Murphy), "Best achievement in art direction" (John Myhre-art direction and Nancy Haigh-set decorator), "Best achievement in costume design" (Sharen Davis), and 3 nominations for "Best achievement in music written for motion pictures, original song" ("Listen" Henry Krieger and Scott Cutler-music and Anne Preven-lyrics; "Love You I Do" Henry Krieger-music and Siedah Garrett-lyrics; and "Patience" Henry Krieger-music and Willie Reale-lyrics)

2007 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Jennifer Hudson); 1 nomination: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Henry Krieger)

2007 Golden Globes: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Eddie Murphy), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Jennifer Hudson); 2 nominations: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Beyoncé Knowles, Henry Krieger, Anne Preven, and Scott Cutler for the song "Listen"), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Beyoncé Knowles)