Ed's Review Dot Com

Warner Bros. Pictures

Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfred Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Jeremy Brett, Theodore Bikel, Mona Washbourne, Isobel Elsom, John Holland, Alan Napier, Marni Nixon

Eliza Doolittle(Audrey Hepburn) is a flower girl who sells violets in the streets of London. On a bet, Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), famous linguistic expert takes her in an attempt to pass her off as a Lady at a ball with the top royalty of Europe in just 6 weeks by teaching her to speak properly. In the process Henry, a confirmed bachelor comes to depend on her, and she learns that after pretending to be royalty, going back to the streets is hard. This is the classic movie adaptation of the world famous Broadway play. Just remastered and restored, with brilliant colors and a fabulous soundtrack.

Everyone is probably familiar with the story of My Fair Lady, but it’s really nice to revisit it, as it’s got much of the great stuff that made the movie musicals of the 50’s and 60’s so absolutely amazing. Great story, decent music (not the strongest score, but not half bad) and excellent performances by all the characters. Watching the initial hatred between Eliza and Henry turn into much, much more, much to Henry’s disgust is a fine evening. It’s the full musical, so it’s almost 3 hours long and includes an intermission, just as the original film did, it takes time, but if you get a chance to watch this on todays home theater equipment with brilliant colors and fabulous sound, it’s well worth a revisit. Years of watching this on small TV’s with mono sound has made us forget how beautiful these musicals were.

In my opinion, it’s not quite as good as Sound of Music, Oliver, Camelot, and some of the later musicals, but this is still a very strong story with decent music and well worth revisiting 1964 for a few hours!

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

After Dark Films

Devon Graye, Wes Chatham, C.J. Thomason, Tammin Sursok, Ben Easter, Michael Cornelison, Candice Rose, Aaron Harpold

Five friends are on an annual vacation trip when out in the middle of a huge cornfield, crows suddenly dive bomb the windshield, causing an accident, and crashing the car. When they woke up, the found one of the group was missing, and time was quickly flying by, with no sign of a rescue. Some of the gang head out for help when the whole group find someone is stalking them and killing them one by one. But the weird thing is that the killer or killers look strangely familiar.

Young director Brett Simmons’s created a short film version of this story for his school project. After graduation, he spent years trying to make this into a feature length film. A lot of persistence, but I’m glad he didn’t give up. He made a low budget horror thriller that really is quite unique. I know the stranded in a car out on a lonely highway thing has been done, but this not a chainsaw wielding madman, aliens, nor is it an inbred family of cannibals that want to feast on them. This is something much more unique and certainly very sinister. Trying to figure out a way to survive and to solve the mystery of what is going on sucks us into a very clever twisting horror story that doesn’t let up. The cast put up with horrible conditions to make this film, and they did it as a labor of love, and it shows. Most of it is all real, very little CGI or special effects done post production, this is a really scary film. Many of the After Dark films are very good, and some are a little iffy. But this one in particular is very good. Thanks to After Dark for giving a chance to young directors like this to hone their craft insuring many more great films to come, I’m sure. Known for their “8 Films to Die For” Horrorfest celebrations, they do a great thing for those of us who are horror fans, much like Sundance does for the tree hugger crowd.

You may have nightmares later, but for sure you won’t forget Husk right away. I enjoyed it so much, I listened to the commentary afterward with the director and the 3 main characters. It was a fascinating account of what it took to get this film made, and the extreme life they lived for the couple weeks it took to shoot this film. I really liked it, and I recommend it if you’re getting bored with the usual horror stuff coming out lately. This one is not overly bloody or nasty, but really is scary from start to the unbelievable ending which doesn’t give you the answer. You’ll have to decide for yourself what the ending means, as it’s not spelled out for you. A cerebral psychotic horror film from beginning to the closing credits. Great job guys!

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Werc Werk Works

Shirley Henderson, Allison Janney, Ciarán Hinds, Dylan Riley Snyder, Michael Lerner, Ally Sheedy, Paul Reubens, Michael K. Williams, Charlotte Rampling, Renée Taylor, Emma Hinz, Gaby Hoffmann

This is the story of three sisters, Trish (Allison Janney) and Joy (Shirley Henderson), and estranged Helen (Ally Sheedy), each married to degenerate men, as they ponder the virtues of forgiving and forgetting. As Joy visits Trish to escape problems with her perverted, druggy husband, Trish is unaware that her own ex-husband, a pedophile whom she’s claimed is dead, is now out of prison.
This is also the story of Trish’s two sons, the older who is away at school and trying to forget, and the younger son who acts way beyond his years, is scared to death that he is going to turn out just like his father.

This is actually a sequel to filmmaker Todd Solondz’s film Happiness. I admit that I did not see the first film, and having seen this one, I’m not sure that I would want to. I can’t really compare this one to the first film, so I’m reviewing it as a stand alone film. Perhaps knowing the first film could possibly change my opinion of this one, but I doubt it. My complaint with this film is that is way, way too artsy for my taste. The story does come around and it all makes sense, but you’re going to be so confused by the time you get half way through it, it’s really annoying. The characters are so dark. It’s pretty well acted, in that respect, but the characters are so unlikable that it is hard to get into their stories. The conversations between Trish and her younger son are disgusting and someone ought to call child services. The other sisters are just as nuts. It’s one of those stories that I just cannot recommend unless you are really fond of these art-house films. For me, it was a little bit interesting and very much annoying. If you’re a fan of this film, I’d love to hear from someone who really likes it, to find out why. I just couldn’t get into it, and do not recommend it, even as a rental.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Apollo 18 Productions, Bekmambetov Projects Ltd. (BPL)

Technically there is no cast because it would be awkward if the names of the “actors” were different than the names of the “characters” since this is actual NASA/DOD footage. But the actors are: Warren Christie, Lloyd Owen, Ryan Robbins

First there is a web site, as in “wikileaks” only it’s called . Like Wikileaks, the footage has been sitting there squashed by the Department of Defense since the 1970’s. It was leaked to the site, and posted on-line, only now the site has been censored by the government. But this film is made from the “found” footage.
After Apollo 17, the last mission to the moon, Apollo 18, 19, and 20 were scheduled. But they were scrubbed due to “budget considerations”. But 3 astronauts were actually sent to the moon in Apollo 18 on a top secret mission to deliver equipment for the Department of Defense. No one, not even their families knew where they were going. This is their story, and what they found there wasn’t an accident, and it was the reason for the mission was the last time anyone has gone to the moon.

OK, scary movies based on found footage and leaked secrets is nothing new. Blair Witch Project of course got away with it, as did the Paranormal Activity films, Cloverfield, The Last Exorcism and District 9. And like the others, this one is a fake, of course, and no one buys it anymore. (I take that back. Some reviewers were dumb enough to buy into it hook, line, and sinker). But it is a particular kind of film, and of that type, this one is pretty decent. The footage looks old and crappy because that was the technology in the early 1970’s. But it isn’t shaky hand held photography that makes you sick, that which ruined Blair Witch and Cloverfield, and District 9 to a great degree as well. It does seem silly to fork over 12 dollars to watch a film in 2011 with 1970’s quality mono audio and video, so that may make this a rental. However, it was extremely creepy, and gives you a strong feeling of “what if it really happened”. I think the suspense is a good a great classic Twilight Zone episode, and though most of the “scares” are really just loud sounds or sudden images with loud sounds that make you startled, not really scared. But the effects are good, and the feeling is right on for the material and you don’t notice the excellent video and sound when it does come on once in a while. The 70’s stuff is mixed in so well that you really feel like you’re watching old video.

All in all, I enjoyed the film. I just sat back and relaxed (when I wasn’t jumping out of my seat) and let the film tell it’s story. If you’re going to get angry because it says it’s real and it’s not, then stay away. You’re probably one of those who would have been in a panic the night Orson Welles “War of the Worlds” was on the radio. 🙂 But if you’re willing to suspend critical thinking and belief for a bit, and just enjoy this fairy tale, it isn’t half bad. I enjoyed it a lot and was glad I went to see it.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday Sept 6, 2011