Invasion of the Bee Girls (3 Stars)

In a government research centre women are turned into human bees who kill their lovers during mating. An interesting concept that would have turned out well with a bigger budget and better cinematography. This looks like a prime candidate for a remake.

Hannibal (4½ Stars)

Although "Silence of the Lambs" is the most famous film about Hannibal Lecter, I find "Hannibal" better. The main reason is that we see more of the good doctor, but I also find that Julianne Moore is a better choice to play Clarice Starling. Giancarlo Giannini, an actor not well known outside Italy, delivers a moving performance as the police detective blinded by greed. The film moves slowly, but when the action kicks in you jump in your seat. A great film all round.

TV Soap: Coronation Street

While I almost never watch "Coronation Street", I think that I should pay respect to it as the world's longest running television soap that is still being shown. Next Thursday, December 9th, will be its fiftieth anniversary. It's also the anniversary of William Roache who has played Ken Barlow in the soap since the first episode, and is the actor who has played a role for the longest time continuously.

I won't say much about the soap, since I know too little about it, and merely refer anyone who's interested to the Wikipedia page. On December 9th the anniversary episode will be broadcast live. While not a soap fan I'll be sitting watching it with a glass of wine in my hand, taking part in this special occasion and celebrating William Roache's performance as a British icon.

If any of my readers are Coronation Street fans I invite you to write something about it and I'll publish it here.

P.S. The soaps "Guiding Light" and "As the world turns" ran on American television for 57 and 54 years respectively, but have both been discontinued.

P.P.S. Helen Wagner played Nancy Hughes McClosky in "As the world turns" from 1956 to 2010, but she took a four year break from 1981 to 1985.

Exte (4 Stars)

Even after watching "Exte" (Japanese for "Hair Extentions") I'm not sure whether it's meant as a parody or not. Maybe it isn't a parody, but it does subtly make fun of the obsession of Japanese ghost films with long hair.

A man who works in a morgue has the habit of cutting the hair off dead women and selling it as hair extensions. When the body of a murder victim is delivered whose hair is still growing rapidly after death he steals the body and keeps it at home. He now has an endless supply of hair extensions to deliver to the local hair salons. Unfortunately the hair is possessed and kills whoever wears the extensions. A young hairdressing assistant, played by the beautiful Chiaki Kuriyama, is forced to do battle with this evil force.

Star Wreck (2 Stars)

Captain Pirk is stranded on Earth in the 21st Century. Realising that history has been changed, he attempts to change it back by making himself the Earth's emperor. Drunk with power he wages war on all alien life.

This is a parody of Star Trek (various series) with elements of Babylon 5 and Stargate mixed in. The plot is clever and the humour is well conceived, but it's spoilt by poor acting. The characters are all wooden and interchangeable. If you want to see a good Star Trek parody watch Star Trek XXX instead.

Hell High (4 Stars)

Advertised as a slasher movie, this is really an anti-slasher film. The first hour is spent showing us how utterly depraved high school students can be. It isn't till the last 15 minutes that we see the persecuted school teacher go mad and stalk her students dressed only in her lingerie.

A very enjoyable film, and even if it weren't any DVD with a Joe Bob Briggs commentary is worth buying for the commentary alone!

Dick (4 Stars)

The Watergate affair as told through the eyes of the two 15-year-old girls who used to walk President Nixon's dog. During their time in the White House they got to know all the top politicians and became the president's friends. After hearing a tape in which he shouted at his dog they decide to expose him and become instrumental in forcing him to resign.

I feel tempted to give half a star less because the sexiest scene in the film is ruined by being shown at the end with the credits rolling over it. If you've seen the film you know what I mean.

Better than Chocolate (3½ Stars)

Maggie (Karyn Dwyer) has dropped out of law school to work at a lesbian book store. So far her family doesn't know that she's a lesbian, but that all changes drastically when her mother and younger brother come to live with her. They arrive the day after Maggie meets her new lover Kim (Christina Cox).

The film would have been better if it had avoided all the lesbian clichés. More than anything it seems to be lesbians making fun of themselves. Or maybe that's the intention? But at least the film features the beautiful Karyn Dwyer. Christina Cox is attractive as well, but she looks better with long hair.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (5 Stars)

Please don't forget the apostrophe in the title after "Ladies". In the film Precious makes a big deal about it, and so should we.

This film is the pilot for the tv series with the same name, for which only six episodes have been made so far. It's based on the series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith about Precious Ramotswe, a young woman in Botswana, who decides to open her country's first woman-run detective agency for idealistic reasons. "I love my country Botswana, and I love Africa, and I want to do good with the time God has given me".

Unless you live in Africa the background to the stories will seem very foreign to you. Detective stories in an African village bear little resemblance to stories that take place in America or Europe. The first time I watched this film I was overwhelmed by the settings. It wasn't until the second viewing that I was able to appreciate the stories themselves. The film is growing on me. While not a comedy, the agency's secretary, Grace Makutsi, frequently makes dry comments that make me laugh aloud. "In history class we learned about a former time before computers, when typing was done on machines and the country was called Botswanaland and dinosaurs roamed the earth".

This is a heart-warming film. You will fall in love with the characters and cheer for Precious as she solves her cases. Rarely is a film so unique and so charming. After watching it you will want to see the tv series. In America the pilot film and the tv series have been released in a single box set. In the UK they have to be purchased separately.

Strangers on a Train (4 Stars)

A story of suspense as only Alfred Hitchcock could tell it. Two strangers meet on a train and discuss the possibility of each killing a person the other hates. One of them murders his designated victim without waiting for the other to agree. From a slow start the film steadily increases in pace until it reaches its dizzying climax.

Kaante (3½ Stars)

A difficult film to rate. Its main weakness is that it moves too slowly. It takes 45 minutes before anything begins to happen, and even after that it stops and starts. The film length of 160 minutes is unnecessary. It could have been improved by shortening it an hour. It seems rather absurd that in the strip club all the pole dancers are fully dressed.

Reservoir Dogs (5 Stars)

Is there anyone reading this blog who hasn't seen "Reservoir Dogs" yet? It's a film that should be compulsory viewing for everyone everywhere. It excels on so many different levels. It breaks all the conventions of film making, but it's still exciting from beginning to end. And yes, the actors are terrific. If you haven't seen "Reservoir Dogs" yet, stop reading now and come back after you've watched it. My review after the picture contains spoilers.

This was Quentin Tarantino's breakthrough film. In many ways it's still his best. It tells the story of a robbery that went wrong, a jewel heist, without ever showing the robbery itself. All we see is conversations leading up to the robbery, and then the aftermath. Almost all of the film takes place in the claustrophobic atmosphere of the empty warehouse.

It doesn't matter if you don't like gangster films. "Reservoir Dogs" isn't about gangsters, it's about people. We get to know the characters intimately. We see their strengths and their weaknesses as they crack under pressure. On a psychological level this is an astounding film.

The choice of actors is amazing. They all slot into place. I can't imagine any of them being exchanged for other actors without spoiling the action.

Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth take the centre stage as Mr. White and Mr. Orange. Both of them are world class actors. The development of a father-son relationship between them is moving, and you can feel the tears welling in your eyes when Mr. Orange confesses to Mr. White that he's betrayed him.

Michael Madsen's portrayal of the cold psycopath Mr. Blonde is chilling. When he meets Joe and interviews for the job he seems likeable, but in the warehouse we see his true nature. The bizarre mixture of dancing and torture is one of the film's images that will always be remembered.

Steve Buscemi is a contradictory character as Mr. Pink. He obviously has a lot of anger, and he's closer to cracking up than any of the others, but he's constantly pulling himself together, telling the others and himself that he's a professional.

Lawrence Tierney, who plays the boss, is really the most professional of the characters. For him it's all about business. He doesn't get involved in the joking of the rest of his crew. His son, played by Chris Penn, isn't quite as self-controlled. His shouting in the final scene is a major catalyst in the ensuing bloodbath.

This was a daring film. It could have failed. With lesser actors it would definitely have failed. It was a daring decision to leave the story's central event, the robbery, out of the film altogether. In many ways "Reservoir Dogs" is more like a theatre play than a film. Almost all the scenes could be shown on a small stage. The conversations between the gang members are more important than the action itself. While this was a relatively low budget film, costing barely more than one million dollars, the lack in funding is never apparent. This is a film that will always be remembered.

TV Series: Blood Ties

I just watched the final episode of the second season of "Blood Ties". With a heavy heart. The episode ended on a cliffhanger, but after three years of waiting it looks doubtful there will ever be a third season. This is tragic, since it was one of the most intelligent, thoughtful tv series ever made. Despite the low budget the special effects are never silly or unrealistic. None of the actors were known to me before this series, but they all deliver solid performances.

To summarize the series: Vicki Nelson is an ex-policewoman who quits her job due to her failing eyesight. She starts a private detective agency, hoping to do easy jobs like proving husbands are being unfaithful, but a series of circumstances (which I consider to be spoilers and won't name here) lead to her specialising in supernatural cases. If there's a werewolf, ghost or demon walking the streets of Toronto, Vicki is hired to deal with it.

Vicki is aided by two men in her work. One is her ex-partner from the police force who still works as a cop. The other is a 500-year-old vampire who makes a living writing comic books. Both of them love her, and she's constantly torn between the two of them, unable to choose. This love triangle is a subplot that runs through the whole series, often as important as the supernatural threats themselves.

The series has just been released on Blu-ray, which is an indication that it still has a fan base. While "Blood Ties" follows a similar premise to "Angel", it's far superior. The storylines are darker and more menacing. This series was cancelled way too soon. Tragic.

Sorority Row (4 Stars)

A slasher film with pretty girls and glimpses of nudity that are too brief to be erotic. The story isn't original. If you've seen "I know what you did last summer" you already know the plot. But in films like this originality isn't as important as the rising body count. Turn the lights off, snuggle up with your partner on the couch, and watch the film. It will be a night to remember.

Flash Gordon (4 Stars)

Everybody thought "Barbarella" was the ultimate in camp cinema. But then Dino De Laurentiis outdid himself with "Flash Gordon". Here we see a football player saving the universe. Timothy Dalton dresses like Robin Hood and fires guns like James Bond. Ornella Muti is in a pillow fight. The scenes are colourful as a Chinese martial arts epic. This film has it all.

The Paperboy (5 Stars)

Sometimes you have to ask yourselves what it takes to make a good film. Do you need a big budget, expensive locations and famous actors? This film has none of those. Filmed on a shoestring budget, "The Paperboy" is one of the best horror films ever made.

So what makes it so good? First of all, it's a well written story. Then the actors, unknown as they might be, turn in solid performances. Marc Marut is amazing in the title role. But most of all the film terrifies the viewer through its realism. It isn't a powerful killer or a supernatural monster. The killer is the innocent looking 12-year-old who lives next door. The placid scenes and the idyllic music add to the atmosphere. Everything seems normal in the small town, but what is lurking beneath the surface?

Unfortunately, this film has yet to be released on DVD in America or England. It hasn't even been released in Canada, where it was made. If you want to buy it you have to order it from Australia, if you're able to watch Region 4 PAL DVDs. Follow the link on the picture above.

Silver Bullet (4 Stars)

I like this film a lot. It's one of the Dino De Laurentiis films I've decided to watch in his memory, although I admit that I'd forgotten it was one of his films. Nobody remembers the producer, right? I remember this film most for the performance of Corey Haim, an excellent actor who died way too young. Why did he have to kill himself? Was the strain of being a star all his life too much for him? It wasn't even a spontaneous suicide, it had been planned. "Haim had used aliases to procure 553 prescription pills in the 32 days prior to his death, 'doctor-shopping' seven different doctors and using seven pharmacies to obtain the supply, which included 195 Valium, 149 Vicodin, 194 Soma and 15 Xanax." And he died broke, leaving not enough money to cover his funeral costs. What a waste!

This is a good film, though maybe not a horror film in the strict sense. Rather than concentrating on the werewolf itself, we're taken into the life of the crippled young boy played by Corey Haim and his determination to find the monster. Worth watching, and not just at Halloween.

Silence of the Lambs (4½ Stars)

It's been years since I last watched this. I'd forgotten it was so good. Anthony Hopkins is menacing throughout. And it's good to see the tragically underrated actor Charles Napier appear as a police sergeant. Jodie Foster's accent annoys me because she sounds like she's chewing gum throughout the film. Is that really how they speak in West Virginia?

Please Sir (4 Stars)

This is a film spin-off of the popular British comedy series "Please Sir", that originally ran from 1968 to 1972. While this is doubtless of the same quality as other britcoms of the 1970's, it's never become popular in America, where people usually rave about British comedy. Maybe it's because British schools are so different that Americans can't relate. Not sure.

However, I'm reviewing the film, not the tv series. The children of class 5C (ages 15-16) go on a school trip to a remote country village. While an entertaining story, I prefer to see the kids in their classrooms in London.

On another note, I admit that I had a crush on the actress Liz Gebhardt when I was in my young teens. Admittedly she wasn't as pretty as most of the girls in the class, but I found her naive innocence appealing. She was actually a lot older than me, because she was still playing a 15-year-old into her late twenties. I say "was" because she died of cancer in 1999. It's difficult to find a good photo of her. I'll make a screenshot when I review the series itself.

Liz Gebhardt
12 April 1945 – 10 August 1996

Red Dragon (4½ Stars)

A thrilling film from beginning to end. My only criticism is that having been filmed later it assumes that the viewer has already seen "Silence of the Lambs". This is another film that Dino De Laurentiis should be remembered for.