Mulholland Drive (2001) Film Review - David Lynch directed

Plot Summary - A psychological thriller, set in Los Angeles - written and directed by David Lynch. A woman (Laura Harring) - just about to be executed at gunpoint by two bad guys - is in a car wreck on Mulholland Drive, then finds herself amnesia-bound, with no memory of who she is as she sneaks from the accident scene and into a nearby apartment. Actress Betty (Naomi Watts) comes to L.A. seeking stardom, and arrives the same day to stay in the apartment while her aunt, who owns it, is out of town. Oddly befriending the woman who is found camping in the apartment, the two join forces to solve the mystery of who this woman is. Meanwhile, a separate story involves a director who is being "coaxed" by some mafia types into hiring a certain actress for his new film. How these, and other - seemingly unrelated stories - piece together is the mystery of it - really the mystery!!

Review - Okay, this film is an odd one - and being written and directed by David Lynch, that's no surprise (hmm, the most bizarre film I've ever seen in my life, Eraserhead (1977), was his creation). I found the film confusing in a way - but thought-inspiring and, well, what I might call "creepy cool". The style of the film is interesting, tense, sort of mesmerizingly weird - with lots of facial close-ups, odd camera movements, and typical David Lynch background music and assortment of odd characters. Rating - 9/10 stars

Libeled Lady (1936) Film Review - Harlow, Tracy, Loy, Powell

Plot Summary - Romantic comedy with a touch of screwball and featuring four great Thirties stars. When a New York newspaper is facing a libel suit for five million dollars over a false story calling one of the "richest girls in America", playgirl Connie Allenbury (Myrna Loy), a "husband stealer", gung-ho newspaper man, Warren Haggerty (Spencer Tracy), must come up with a way to get rid of the lawsuit and save the paper. He recruits former colleague and libel expert Bill Chandler (William Powell) to help and they come up with an idea to prove Connie an actual husband stealer. So - Bill marries Warren's fiancee Gladys (Jean Harlow) - a hot-tempered blonde often sporting frilly negligee and a pair of mules - with plans to set up Connie for a fall with Gladys posing as a "wronged wife" (then later sending Gladys to Reno for a quickie divorce). Bill heads for London to travel back on the same ocean liner as Connie and her father, then attempts to befriend the pair basically by kissing up to the dad, exchanging fish stories and posing as a great angler (dad's favorite hobby) - - as it happens, Bill has never fished and has to study up in books! Bill and Connie start to fall for each other - will he go through with the frame up, will she drop the lawsuit? Hmm - just you watch.

Review - This is a great film - I've seen it a number of times before and it still makes me laugh, very amusing! With the star power of Myrna Loy, William Powell, Spencer Tracy, and Jean Harlow all together in one film, it would be hard for this one not to work. The script is well written and features lots of snappy dialogue, the story is fun to watch. Loy and Powell certainly have their usual onscreen chemistry together - and I really think Jean Harlow practically steals the show, even with all those other stars - she's over-the-top, even a bit campy in this, and she dominates every scene she's in - fun stuff. I love this movie! Rating - 10/10 stars

Zach and Miri Make a Porno (2008) - Seth Rogen

Plot Summary - Zach (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) are childhood friends/platonic roommates who don't earn enough from Zach's job at a Pittsburgh coffee bar to pay the bills (I don't know if it is ever explained in the film what Miri does or doesn't do/is she out of work or what?). When first their water, then their electricity is shut off they come up with a plan to earn some cash - make a porno movie starring each other! They also round up a few wannabee porn stars to fill out the film, come up with a title, and start shooting. Um - silly stuff to come, with a little romance thrown in between our two stars (coulda seen that coming).

Review - A very silly comedy, not very funny (I believe I had one laugh-out-loud in this) - includes a few pieces of gross-out humor which I don't like. This film actually started okay, then got worse as it went along - I was getting sort of bored waiting for it to end. Seth Rogen is an amusing guy (I am a fan of all the actors from "Freaks and Geeks") but this, while not a super bad movie - is far from good either. For those wondering - there is some nudity and simulated sex scenes done in a comedy style (so this one is not a comedy for the kiddies), including male full frontal. Rating - 5.5/10 stars

The Phantom of the Opera (2004) Film Review

Plot Summary - In 1870 Paris, the Opera House is haunted by the infamous "Phantom" - a disfigured man who wears a mask covering half his face and lives in the underground sewers below the Opera. The Phantom loves from a distance a beautiful teenage singer named Christine - he gives demands to those who own the Opera company via letters to give Christine the lead. Christine's singing voice has been well coached, by the voice of the Phantom himself - - she believes he is the "Angel of Music", the spirit of her deceased father. The Phantom encounters her and brings her to visit his chambers via boat - - and meanwhile, Christine is romanced by her handsome childhood sweetheart who she still loves, sparking jealousy in the heart of poor Phantom. A real Gothic love triangle is basically what's at the heart of this story.

Review - Okay, yes, I am a fan of musical theater and of Andrew Lloyd Webber - I have seen this performed on the stage here in Los Angeles. I must say this film version of the stage musical is just terrific, the costumes lavish and colorful, the art and set direction spectacular - I absolutely loved this. Of course, the whole thing is helped along by featuring a wonderful music score and vocals, which fills the majority of the production. Emmy Rossum, who plays Christine, has a lovely singing voice - Gerard Butler makes a very attractive Phantom, I must say, even with his mask off you could still see his handsome features shining through - hmm, I half thought Christine should just go for him, so what about the scars! And by the way, this film looked stunningly gorgeous on Blu-ray. I just watched this and already feel like seeing it again! Rating - 10/10 stars

Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943) Film Review - Alice Faye

Plot Summary - WWII Technicolor musical set in the lively Barbary Coast music halls of the last turn-of-the-century. Alice Faye plays Trudy Evans, honky tonk singer who performs in a foursome with her fellow, Johnny (John Payne), and their two sidekick pals (June Havoc and Jack Oakie). After getting fired for performing their "new act", the four start giving free performances on the street in front of all the honky tonks, prompting bribes from the owners to stop - and leading Johnny into enough cash to open his own club, the "Grizzly Bear" (featuring "Girls - Girly Girls - Shapely Girls" with "food wine liquors unsurpassed"). Soon successful Johnny owns a string of music halls, including a Rollerdrome, and Trudy is famous on the Barbary Coast for her vocals (and beauty, I would guess!). But ambitions to get himself to wealthy Nob Hill leads Johnny into a relationship with another woman, Nob Hill society gal Bernice Croft, aggressive pursuer of Johnny and soon down on her luck. Troubles for Johnny, but more success for Trudy to come.

Review - Full of colorful, entertaining musical numbers including a fun act on roller skates featuring a great skating duo, plus Alice Faye singing the famous "You'll Never Know" three times during the film, her vocals so wonderful, rich and deep. The film is rich in music but lacks in the romance department, which fairly falls flat, Faye's relationship with her man sort of a side issue to all the production numbers - and I find it hard to really root for her relationship with Payne's character when he's such a heel and oh so non-appreciative of her loyalty to him. The Technicolor (which looks very nice on the DVD) makes for some brilliantly colored productions, by the way, the costumes and gowns in the film are lavishly bright and gorgeous! Alice Faye perhaps never looked more beautiful than in this film; it's really all about the songs, the colors, and the big feathered hats when watching this film - not so much the plot, which I found just a tad boring. Rating - 7.5/10 stars