You Can Never Have Too Much "Spam": Review for "Spamalot"

Spamalot is somewhat an adaptation/remake of Monty Python's hilarious Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The original tale revolves around King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The title is a pun on "Camelot" and the long running Python gag "Spam", which, if you dot already know, is canned meat. There were several differences from the movie, which, in essence, shouldn't matter. Eric Idle, one of the originals, wrote the book and the lyrics for the play. The Lady of the Lake character is very funny, and the actress who plays her has a tremendous voice. Her rendition of "What Ever Happened to My Part?" is hilarious, in which she complains of not being on the stage for long and makes fun of Posh Beckham. However, in the style of those dirty minded comedians, there's plenty of swearing and ladies showing lots of skin. The show, though advertised for families, is not exactly family friendly. There are very funny parts in the second act when it was like the original film with the Ones Who Say "Nee" and the Black Knight scenes. Lancelot, who falls in love with Guenivere in the original tale, falls in love with Price Herbert. That doesn't bother me in the slightest, it was just the style that they did it in. A funny line that Lancelot said at the end of the show about same sex marriage is "To think that 2000 years in the future this will still be controversial." It is true and put very frankly. There are very clever scenes in which they use a projector. The play is clever, funny, and sometimes hilarious!
Grade: B+

Spice Curls: Review for "Hairspray"

First Hairspray was a cult movie by oddball director, John Waters, famous for some of the most offensive cult films. Then it became a Broadway smash, winning 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Now, it is a movie, based on the musical. It's Hairspray! Young Tracy Turnblad (brilliant newcomer, Nikki Blonsky) has high hopes on getting on the local dance show, The Corny Collins Show. She is, however, different. She's rather plump, but that doesn't stop her. She also has a crush on the most popular guy in school, Elvis like, and star of The Corny Collins Show, Link Larson (Zac Efron, High School Musical). Her best friend, Penny (Amanda Bynes) is intent on getting Tracy on the show. Tracy is open minded and free spirited, which means trouble when you're in 1962. She's "all for intergration. It's the new frontier!" Velma von Tussel (Michelle Pfeifer), conservative, racist manager of the show, spits back, "Not in Baltimore it isn't!" The interesting thing in all the versions of the film is that it fights racism and gets your attention while entertaining you. The song, "I Know Where I've Been" is very powerful, and Queen Latifah crooning it makes it ten times more so. She was excellent in Chicago, and she's great here. Nikki has a good voice, considering this is her first time on film and singing songs like "Good Morning Baltimore". One annoying thing however about yyoung Blonsky is that in almost every song, she tries to sound too professional, making (or trying) asound that sounds way too weird, like a strange thrusting noise. She has a good voice already, but does she have to exaggerate it. Corny Collins (James Marsden) is the host and wants Negro day eliminated...he wants his show to be intergrated, as oposed to a once a month thing. One thing unbelievable about this film however is when the show is finally mixed at the end, there are no protesters or people gawking and getting all mad. Sure, some do indeed gape, but none really make moves to do some of the people responsible in. John Travolta takes a turn as Edna Turnblad, and he's perfect. His Edna is perky and cute and worried about her daughter and her weight in a realistic fashion. It's very endearing to see John and Christopher Walken waltz to "You're Timeless to Me". Though there isn't as much chemistry as some actors may have done, it's a nice substitute anyways. It's a very cute song. But another thing unbelievable that worries me a little is a teenage heart throb or popular girl falling in love with a plump nery kid. I don't really think that would happen in schools today, with so much jealousy going around, but it makes a nice story. It's a great musical.
Grade: A-
Blonsky: B+

Sheer Genius: Review for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Sweeney Todd is the story of a barber (Johnny Depp, in his best role) seeking vengeance on the judge (Alan Rickman) who sent him to prison for 15 years on false charges. He gets help from his pie making landlord Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) and opens up his old barber shop again to slit throats. Mrs. Lovett takes the bodies and puts them into her "World Famous Meat Pies". Contrary to Mrs. Lovett's ditty, "The Worst Pies in London", this is the best musical in years. Johnny Depp is excellent, and you can feel the tension in his voice. His voice is impressive, though not perfect. The rocky sound gives more emotion to the character. This man, who's real name is Benjamin Barker, is a sad sap: his wife was stolen, he was sent to jail for something he didn't do, the judge took his daughter from him, no wonder he looks like a corpse. Helena Bohnam Carter is wonderful as Mrs. Lovett. Her voice is wispy, but okay. Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen plays an Italian barber who is Sweeney's rival. He plays him quite flamboyently. Burton is a genius: any filmmaker who can combine blood (enough of it) and emotional drama is a great artist. The scene in which Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly), Todd's wife, goes to the ball at the judge's house is very interesting. Everyone is dressed as a different animal, which can be interpreted as a carnalistic world where the real animals in us rule. The original history is very interesting: it was originally a serial tale by the name of The String of Pearls. In the 1960's, Christopher G. Bond turned the simple story into a heartfelt tragedy. Then it was made into an awards winning Stephen Sondheim musical, which this is based on. Depp and Carter look as if they had recently been in Corpse Bride, though Depp's make up really reminds me of Edward Scissorhands.This adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical of a madman is exquisite! The end packs and unexpected punch! The film is extremely dark, and (I will admit) has an excessive amount of blood. The musical performances are eloquent ("Johanna"), heart renching ("Not While I'm Around), hysterical ("By the Sea", "A Little Priest"), and clever ("Epiphany"). Tim Burton thankfully doesn't just add the music for music's sake, but keeps Sondheim's pulse pounding score and films the scenes to the music, rather than while the music is playing. Sondheim's score brings the emotion to the film, where it was originally in the play. This film is a work of genius. This film is Bloody Brilliant!
Grade: A

For more on the real Todd, click here

Royal Pain: Review for Camelot

The grand story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table was transformed into a musical on Broadway that lasted a short time. In 1967, the musical was made into a movie starring the original Arthur, Richard Harris. This film is not regal in any way. The songs are really stupid. The lyrics are terrible and make very little sense. The cast starts singing at the most trivial moments. The songs have a tune that you will undoubtedly hate, but will stick in your head. In most songs, they do not sing, but talk in a tune, which is extremely annoying. No one can carry a tune for more that 0.3 seconds. The story focuses too much on Launcelot and Guenevere's romance and not enough on Arthur. Launcelot has a very fake accent, Guenevere isn't innocent enough, and Arthur keeps singing love songs. Even if you enjoy musicals, you not enjoy this one. There are too many close ups on people. The camera rarely moves through the whole film. And the end of the film is cornier than Tostitos and salsa. Grade: D

"Murder" Most Foul: Review for "A Murder Is Announced"

A Murder Is Announced is part of the PBS/Mystery! series Marple. It is a series of Miss Marple mysteries adapted from the works of her creator, the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. This particular film is based on the novel of the same name. "A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks, 6:30. Friends, accept this as the only intimation." This little notice appeared in the daily newspaper, where the classifieds are. 10 people arrive at Little Paddocks, the house of Letetia Blacklock. At 6:30, the lights go out and someone tries to kill Letitia, only to end up dead himself. It is up to Miss Jane Marple to solve the crime! Geraldine McEwan, the newest incarnation of Miss Marple, plays her brilliantly and emotionally. In the final scene, as the killer is being revealed, Miss Marple weeps with such emotion (for her niece was also murdered) that your stomach with tremble with great sorrow. But somethings are unnecessary: Mrs. Hinchcliffe and Mrs. Myrgycroft, who arer fond friends in the novel, are in a relationship. Totally unnecessary. Grade: B+

"Death" Becomes Her: Review for "Agatha Christie's Poirot: Death on the Nile"

David Suchet returns as the dapper Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. This "film" is part of the A&E series Agatha Christie's Poirot. This is a rather accurate adaptation of the Christie novel of the same. Lynette Ridgeway, played brilliantly by Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) has everything one could imagine. Her friend, Jacqueline de Belfeur, is engaged to Simon Doyle, but poor Doyle is out on his luck. He needs money, so Jaquie decides to be Lynette to give Simon a job on her new estate as land agent. But a few months later, it is announced that Lynette is engaged to Mr. Doyle: she's stolen Jacquie's fiancee! Jacquie is filled with anger and wants revenge, so she follows the two wherever they go: Italy and abroad.When the couple are relaxing peacefully in Aswan, Egypt. Jacquie surprises them with a drunken visit in a ballroom. Miss Ridgewat tries to convince Poirot to try to get Jacquie to use her common sense. The couple then decide to take a trip up the Nile, trying to evade Jacquie; but surprise, surprise, Miss de Belfeur shows up to make the trip misserable, while Poirot watched in earnest. Lynette and Simon take a look at some of the sites, and while they sre restinng, someone dislodges a large ruin which almost kills Lynette! But Jaquie was far from the scene, so she couldn't have done it! That night Jacquie feels unbelievably depressed and gets drunk. In her state, she shoots Simon! During the night Lynette is shot throught the head, and again Jaquie could not have done it! It is up to Monsier Poirot to catch the killer. This adaptation of the classic crime is very good, and pretty accurate. Jacquie's performance is not emotional enough (e.g. she "begs" Lynette to give Simon the job, but she sounds too bored and dull and not enough excited). David Suchet's pervormance is unforggetable, but this Poirot is not as humorous or soft spoken as was in the original PBS Mystery! series.

Grade: B+
Stars: 3.5/5

Stars: 7/10

Phone "Ring": Review for "The Ring" and "The Ring Two"

Sure, they may not be the greatest in horror, but they are the road less traveled these days. It's more Gothic horror than slasher. The film started a trend of Japanese remakes. The Ring was based on Ringu, The Grudge later released was based on Ju-On:The Grudge, and Dark Water based on the Japanese film of the same name. The Ring is about a killer video tape. The tape is filled with horrible images and after the tape is finished, your phone rings and a mysterious voice says "You will die in seven days.". The girl in the video tape is Samara, the child done wrong by her adoptive parents. She was dumped into a well. The film gets around to a teenage girl who, after seven days, is killed in a gruesome way by Samara. New mom Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts in both films) is a reporter in Seattle. She decides to investigate the film's mysterious path. When finally solving part of the mysterious tape's existence, she copies the tape. Which leads us to The Ring Two. Rachel's son, Aiden (David Dorfman) is possessed by Samara, which makes Rachel track down Samara's past, before being adopted. The Ring Two was directed by Hideo Makato, who directed the original Ringu and Ringu 2. Both films have their flaws, but I personally favored The Ring. It was smarter and better written. Well played out, too. Overall: Grade: B Stars: 3.5/5 The Ring Grade: B Stars: 4/5 The Ring Two Grade: B- Stars: 3/5 The Cursed Video Grade: A Stars: 4.5/5

"Royale" Flush: Review for "Casino Royale" DVD

His name is Bond...James Bond. For over 40 years, he has used his License to Thrill. He returns with a new man as the timeless character. Daniel Craig brings new feeling to Bond. For 45 years it's been an annoying formula. Shaken, not stirred: Bond gets mission, Bond meets girl, Bond sleeps with girl, Bond meets villain, Bond fights villain, Bond wins fight, Bond sleeps with girl again. This formula has been used in the last 18 films before Casino Royale. Craig makes you believe he is a human and not a super hero. He leaves us shaken AND stirred. And he falls in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). This is great change for the series. Sadly, the DVD does not live up to its predecessors (Ultimate Bond Collection (2006), Bond Special Edition (2002-2003), Die Another Day Special Edition). The DVD contains three documentaries: One on the "evolution" of the Bond Girl in an updated edition of AMC's Bond Girls Are Forever, one on the making of the film centered on Daniel Craig called The New Bond, and one on the stunts on the film (which were spectacular) called Bond For Real. There is also a music video for the main theme song for the film: Chris Cornell's You Know My Name. The extras are almost as bare as the Golden Girl (see: 1964's Goldfinger with Sean Connery), but the film makes it somewhat worth your $19.95. The film is great. The extras sad. Movie: Grade: A- Stars: 8/10 DVD Overall: Grade B- Stars: 2 Extras: Grade: D+ Stars: 1.5