The Movie:

From prominent sixties and seventies director J. Lee Thompson comes this ‘red menace’ film where Oscar winner Gregory Peck plays a Nobel Prize winning scientist named Dr. John Hathaway. When the movie begins, the government of the United States has enlisted Hathaway’s help – it seems that the Chinese have almost finished development of a powerful growth enzyme that will allow them to grow wheat anywhere even under the harshest of weather conditions. This will give them some serious control over the world’s food supply and they’ll be able to throw their weight around and maybe even take over the world. Uncle Sam is none too happy about that, which is where Hathaway comes in. You see, the lead Chinese scientist on this project is one Dr. Soing Li, an old acquaintance of Hathaway’s. The government decides to send him in to pose as a traitor in hopes of Hathaway being able to get the secret from Soing Li and bring it back to the U.S.A. before the Chinese can finish it. So serious is this issue that the Americans have opted to work with the U.S.S.R. on this project to assure that it gets taken care of properly.

Before the feds ship Hathaway off to China, they install a transmitter in his head that will allow them to listen in on his conversations. He’s okay with this as he knows it’ll help him get the job done. What Hathway doesn’t realize is that the government has also installed a bomb in his head, so that if he’s found out or captured they can kill him remotely before he can talk. Hathaway’s knowledge is so great that he could very well hold the key that the Chinese need to finish things up, so they don’t want to chance anything.

Hathaway makes it in, reunites with Soing Li, and even convinces the current Chairman that he’s on the up and up. Things seem to be going well until Soing Li is accused of being a traitor and the resulting turmoil causes him to take his own life. Before he killed himself, however, he gave his foxy daughter a book of Mao Tse Tung’s teachings and hidden inside this book, in code that only he and Hathaway could possibly understand, is the formula. Hathaway soon finds out that he has to get this book and make it from China to the Russian border before the Chinese figure out what he’s up to or the Americans decide to detonate the bomb in his head. He’s going to have to go this one alone as sending in any troops or firing even a single shot could start a war.

A fascinating and completely paranoid look at the political climate of the late sixties, The Chairman has not aged so well. It plays to some rather ugly stereotypes and it isn’t the most politically correct of films. That being said, it’s also a whole lot of fun. With the world have changed a lot in the last three or four decades, it’s easy to forget how things were when this film was made and how scary things might have seemed (not that the world is any less scary today – it’s just scary for different reasons) to the average Joe on the street. With that in mind, it’s hard to grasp how the film could have played up to those fears during its era. The politics are interesting in that even if the Chinese are the villains, the script does allow for some thought provoking moments where they are able to make a bit of a case for their beliefs. If they are the bad guys, they’re at least not portrayed as completely inhuman

Thankfully, none of the entertainment value that the film provides has been lost. Peck is still great in the lead, playing his part with style and wit and coming across as ever so brave and noble. Thompson’s direction is also strong, as it keeps things moving at a really good pace ensuring that even during the quieter moments, of which there are a few, things are never boring even if they do get a little too talky in spots. The whole thing is played very straight despite some Bond-ish borrowings here and there (the bedroom scene for one!) but there is definitely some minor camp appeal here, particularly in some of the science employed in the movie. The ending is quite tense and very exciting, which makes up for the aforementioned talkier bits with ease. Not a classic, despite Fox’s banner on the top of the packaging, but a fun and entertaining spy thriller none the less.

Griffith Joseph Barnes (Dan Montgomery, Wasteland) possesses no current direction in his life. He spends his days butting heads with eccentric Aunt Summer (Karen Black, Family Plot) and tries to make out her at hand-endless despair. Emily (Aleksa Palladino) spends a adept deal of time around and may coextensive with love Griffith. There is one major problem: she’s his first cousin. The days in Pineapple, Mississippi drift by without much hope suitable rejuvenation. By pure happen, stranger Lee Todd (Walton Goggins, Switchback) arrives and becomes the friend Griffith desperately needs to assuage his troubled crux. Howsoever, their relationship may contain much more than the typical bond of male friendship.

Lee appears out of nowhere and quickly presents an alternative mode of life to Griffith. Instead of spending his remaining days tending the farm and worrying about the breakdown of his aunt, he could travel the country and discover green people and places. Lee journeys from town to town without a specific plan for his destinations. A basic estimate exists in his brain on touching his trip, but it is something fairly vague have a fondness heading west or present to Texas. This undo spirit presents a contradiction to the moronic, closed-up mentality that hinders Griffith’s growth into adulthood. While life would not be dreadful with Aunt Summer and Emily, he has discovered another prospect that could bring out both his undecided and heart. Lee plans to move on quickly, but he stays behind and hopes to argue into Griffith to join him on the road. This decision drive have lasting ramifications in the lives of both his aunt and cousin.

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“What kind of a friend is Lee?” - Emily (Aleksa Palladino)

Even while lying together with Emily, it’s fairly clear from his expressions that Griffith is missing something from his love life. When his relationship with Lee burgeons and leaves her in the dust, Emily wonders with reference to a possible homosexual element to their friendliness. Although the final outcome is on the cards, writer/director Tag Purvis keeps us in the dark in support of a great time and only provides glimpses of this promise. While it serves to unite to the mystery, it also lessens the smash of their connection. Instead, the story spends too much time with Aunt Summer and her trials and pushes Griffith and Lee into the background destined for a while. The consequent revelation of their feelings is sweet, but it falls short because we do not understand enough concerning what generated these thoughts.

Although this story tries to remaining in-depth characters within a small community, the outcome is not completely effective. Karen Dusky spends a majority of her delay overacting and her capacity loses the emotional steam necessary to make her plight convincing. I found myself groaning whenever she became involved in long, dreary discussions with Griffith and Emily. The blame object of this film’s troubles should not seizure squarely on Black, even so. The all-embracing diagram honourable lacks the sensitive that is necessary to come to these relationships compelling. The whole kit moves at a slow, difficult pace that renders any surprises much less effective in the end. This end result is unfortunate, because it wastes an interesting carrying out from Palladino. Her kind shines with long, flowing red hair and a stunning southern enchantment. Anyhow, the focus shifts more supporting the other actors near the aim and makes her ultimate decision less touching.

Red Dirt is the before chief feature film from writer/director Tag Purvis, and this inexperience reveals itself in the script more than the camera work. His direction absolutely is sheerest solid and contains several celebrated scenes. The whole record contains a gloomy, eerie feeling that stems considerably from the dreary colors and creative filming. There’s also a few moments of amazing scenic beauty that take pleasure in Purvis’ talent. While Griffith’s horror story falls well short of engrossing cinema, it does showcase a talented filmmaker who hopefully will continue to improve his boat on numerous future productions.

The Issue:

Love him or abhor him, but Jerry Lewis has made one great take amongst his often uneven imaginative production. Riffing on the outstanding example apprehension tale

Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde

, his reimagining offered up indulgent hurtful college professor Julius Kelp and his chemically induced convert ego Buddy Mania. It represented the vanquish the ci-devant nightclub merry andrew turned filmmaker had to put on the demand. Thanks mostly to the cartoon vogue he explored with former animator (and repeated collaborator) Frank Tashlin and the public's unending appetite for his favourable brow take on ill brow natural shtick, the resulting comedy remains a accurately amusing and bizarre film. At present, as Eddie Murphy (or someone representing his camp) plans to crap all greater than the abstract by making yet another in the always supererogatory Klump sequels, Lewis himself is reprising his most famous fragment in the thoroughly to DVD CG kid's murkiness, conveniently titled

The Nutty Professor

. While it can not in any degree live up to the original, this generational inhale on the material is in point of fact charming gracious.

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The Plot:


As the resident nerd in his intolerant high school, Harold Kelp is a put upon geek. But when his grandfather Julius offers him the opportunity to attend a swanky, high tech boarding school, the little boy genius jumps at the chance. Soon, he's dealing with a roommate (and his alien buddy) who are into easy going electronica, a couple of jocked up bullies who belittle everyone, and an attractive girl who seems ever so slightly interested in Harold. Hoping to impress her with his BMX skills (the class project is to build, race, and win the annual school bike challenge), our hero fails miserably. But when he stumbles across his grandfather's experiment database, he learns of a formula that can make him cool, charismatic, and above all, coordinated. But the potion also unleashes his deepest, darkest fears, making Harold helpless to defeat them. It will take a group effort, including the use of Professor Kelp's latest invention, to ward off his grandson's growing doubts.

The DVD:


While it's never going to win any awards, and features the kind of science as slapstick routines that made

Dexter's Laboratory

and

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

certified wee one hits, this version of

The Nutty Professor

is actually a whole lot of fun. It features wonderful voice acting from Lewis and a band of newbies (including Nick titan Drake Bell as Harold) and a pen and ink style which utilizes the best aspects of computer animation to create a clever, comic look. Certainly, there are elements that copy the previously mentioned cartoons (Harold has a robotic sidekick ala a certain savant's animatronic mutt) and the level of sophistication has to be dialed down significantly to help things remain as family friendly as possible. But with an ending that will keep the kiddies on the edge of their seat and enough visual invention to illustrate the best of what the genre has to offer, this is a welcome return to a comfortable, familiar concept.

One of the best elements here is the interaction between Bell, Lewis, and the rest of the cast. Instead of sounding like a group of people individually recording their parts into a secluded studio microphone (though, oddly enough, that's exactly how it was done), there is a real sense of camaraderie and chemistry between the actors. Bell doesn't try to imitate the well-known Kelp brogue (for example of how that sounds, see Professor Frink from

The Simpsons

), but he does do good goon. Lewis, on the other hand, does something quite brave. He lets his character age, never trying for the "Hey Lady" lunatic franticness of his youth. Even when Buddy Love makes a limited appearance, it's with a slightly older, more considered callousness. And since this is a film for the underage demo, there's none of the original film's hipster swagger. The closest we get to something like that is a fat kid and his alien cohort making synth pop out of incredibly complex musical instruments.

On the downside, the energy exhausted in pulling off the last act BMX race (truly dazzling for a limited budget CG effort) is lacking in the middle act material, and then the movie really goes gonzo by piling on the even larger in scope message/monster spectacle. It's a heightened ambition that director Paul Taylor (in his first feature film run) can barely manage. Also, the script from longtime Disney scribe Evan Spiliotopoulos could have been sharper. It tends to slide all over the place, from wonderful one-liners to dull as dog water he/she dialogue. The need to keep things within the tween target demo hurts the potential, but both men manage to make the most of the implied wholesomeness. Luckily, Lewis was on board to bring the kind of authenticity and satisfaction he found the first time around. Parents who are perturbed by the wealth of worthless kid vid product out there could do a heck of a lot worse than this 45 years in the making revisit. While minor at best, it's still a little gem.

The Video:


Offered up by Genius Products and the Weinstein Company, the DVD of

The Nutty Professor

is nice, but nothing really special. The animation looks great, but the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen image is ordinary overall. The framing does a nice job of balancing as much animated information in as possible, and the "cinematic" look really helps support the film's frantic visual appeal. While the colors literally blast off the screen and the cartooning looks smooth and slick, this is no Pixar production. It's pretty good, nonetheless.

The Audio:


On the sound side of things, the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is actually pretty good. There is nice use of the back channels (especially during the last act BMX race and monster battle) and the genial score settles nicely within the speakers. The voice work comes across clear and crisp, and the resulting combination of dialogue, action, and music is balanced well.

The Extras:


Jerry Lewis himself appears in the EPK-like making-of material, the only major behind the scenes featurette offered here. The rest of the cast also shows up to express their amazement at working with the living legend, and some backstage footage illustrates how the actors worked with the material. The other bonus is a gallery of storyboards showcasing how the look and style of each character was conceived and modified. While nothing really remarkable, they help give some perspective on the creative process that went into this update.

Final Thoughts:


While this critic has never been the staunchest fan of France's favorite adopted son (I reserve final judgment until I get a chance to see

The Day the Clown Cried

, dammit), I do love

The Nutty Professor

. It's so unlike any other movie made during the era, and is indicative of Lewis' outsized ambitions and the realization of same. So perhaps the rating of

Highly Recommended

reflects a wistful sense of nostalgia for the first time Lewis did Love, and the remarkable moment when the unctuous alter ego of Julius Kelp pleaded with the Purple Pit's resident "barroom brawler" before kicking his ass. But there is a lot to like about this amiable little entry into the entire

Professor

field. Jerry Lewis may be a genius to some, a jerk to many, and a lamentable figure in comedy to a chosen few. But his lasting legacy may just be this clumsy, klutzy character, and the many ways it remains viable to an ever-changing audience - including this enjoyable animated version.

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A shy but unusually impressive B Western about a small township overrun by Mescalero Apaches when a warning from the gambler expelled earlier by the mayor goes unheeded. Superbly staged by Fregonese, principally the climactic attack on the church where the survivors make their stand, with painted Apaches erupting through the exhilarated windows like demons from hell. Val Lewton’s pattern handiwork, it is non-restricted of touches instantly recognisable from his RKO series: the insidious ambivalence undermining attitudes and good principles, the generous posture against racism, the concern respecting childhood (the gambler distracts the frightened kids with an showing of sleight-of-hand), the love of traditional songs (the kids led into a chorus of ‘Oranges and Lemons’; the minister countering the Apache chanting by launching into ‘The Men of Harlech’).

If you remember the old seventies TV show “Charlie´s Angels,” you´ll recall it was close to three beautiful, scantily clad ladies who ran circa shooting bad guys. Hook updated for the new millennium, the modernized, contemporary “Charlie´s Angels” has three handsome, scantily clad ladies competition around karate chopping bad guys. The more things metamorphosis, the more they remain the same.

“Charlie´s Angels” looks like little more than an extended music video, no surprise coming from a conductor of music videos, McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol), who had never done a feature smokescreen before. The high-determination opening segment sets the tone, not only by being ear-splitting and forward but by ripping off at least two other movies, a predilection followed up throughout the rest of the film. A man with a shell strapped to his chest is thrown out of a jet airliner by another guy who jumps after him, followed by a third fellow who appears from out of order of nowhere. The ensuing manumitted-move it is undoubtedly meant to remind a man of a Bond wager. Then, borrowing from “Mission: Impossible 2,” when they land, one of the guys rips quiet a mask to reveal he´s really a she! One of the angels, of course.

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The three new female operatives are played by Cameron Diaz as Natalie, Lucy Liu as Alex, and Drew Barrymore as Dylan. John Forsythe is back as the communicate of debonair Charles Townsend, the mysterious head of Townsend Investigations, the firm the angels handle fitted, and Bill Murray plays Bosley, Charlie´s bumbling second-lieutenant. The same theme music from the idiot box series is used, too, only more jazzed up and more nerve wracking. Finally, there are more capital-tech visual effects this obsolete faulty, most of them owing their allegiance to “The Matrix,” up to and including the flying sequences, the kicking and punching, and the dodging of bullets. If you´re going to borrow, borrow from the overpower.

Heaven prohibit the current angels should be anything but politically correct, so to feature the image of the supplemental woman, they don´t carry guns or run anybody. Instead, they are all martial-arts experts and kick their enemies into resignation. But anyone who remembers the old angels knows that the strength sanity for the show´s success (among males, at least) was its display of bonny women, so that be after has remained unchanged. Diaz is assigned the derriere department, Barrymore the cleavage, and Liu the legs and midriff. I can´t recall a scene that doesn´t underscore one or more of the ladies´ body parts, flimsily outfitted to contend a PG-13 rating.

All three angels are supposed to be brilliant and talented, but they perform get a bang airheads much of the time. Ms. Liu´s individual appears the brainiest of the supply, Diaz acts the most ditsy, and Barrymore the most childlike. They use their cissified charms to woo good guys and bad guys alike. In no case, however, do we care in the least about these angels as persons. They are cartoon characters with narrow-minded living soul celebrity beyond their manner.

The first thing is that they look well-disposed, to which end there is much posturing and much soporific-suggestion camera work, with a remarkable amount of empty filler meant solely to make clear cancelled the ladies´ obvious assets. It´s pixilated, then, that uncommonly Ms. Diaz´s and Ms. Barrymore´s hair’s breadth and makeup should so time seem less than luring. Maybe saddest of all, Account Murray is almost entirely wasted in a role that allows him only to fluff around looking dazed and nonplussed rather than must assorted bizarre lines.