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Reviews
Song of the South (1946)
Disney's first combined live action/animation. A classic gem.
I've been fortunate to rescreen this movie since the last time I saw it 55 years ago. It is classic Disney of its period, the first time the studio expanded from animation to include live action in a seamless integration. Integration, of course, is the key reason why Disney has not reissued this movie since 1986 - but it is a fictional story set in the "Gone With the Wind" era and what it is really about is the art of storytelling. Uncle Remus, played by James Baskett, recounts the moralistic tales of Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear to children.
This was James Baskett's first leading movie role, for which he received a special Academy Award, and it was his last. He died two years after "Song of the South" was released.
I don't know how many millions of people in the world have glimmerings of memories of this movie, and I advise them to pester Disney to reissue it. Everything is a product of its time; that is no reason to bury a gifted, entertaining and inspiring film.
Flashdance (1983)
Fun feminism
This movie is purely fun feminism, full of good feelings and good music. Now, more than ever, people whose lives are defined by walls of steel and stone need to break out into higher aspirations and originality. It is a complete mystery to me why it hasn't been reissued on DVD.
Trading Places (1983)
One of my all-time favorites!
I saw "Trading Places" when it came out in 1983, at which time I was living in Manhattan and heavily invested in commodity options. So I knew exactly what the film was satirizing, and it does so in a beautifully crafted movie where the "have-nots" switch places with the "haves". This, and "Beverly Hills Cop", are Eddie Murphy's best roles. In fact, excellent casting is what makes the movie. I rarely think of Jamie Lee Curtis as sexy, but she pulls it (and her sweater) off here. The whole thing is a farce, so you have to take it in that vein. Be prepared for the ridiculous!
The Hobbit (1977)
Hideous animation, poor adaptation.
It is a challenge, perhaps unsurmountable, to compress the intelligence and wit of any of Tolkien's lengthy books into a standard-format movie. At present we can compare only the interpretations by Ralph Bakshi and Rankin-Bass. In "The Hobbit" I resented most the chintzy animation which gave characters set expressions (even Bilbo) and the parsing of the plot to dwell too long on scenes (the dragon in its cave) while totally forgetting others (the Arkenstone). And Glenn Yarborough's songs don't gel at all with my concept of ancient English folksong. Bakshi's one finished film, "The Lord of the Rings", used rotoscope (tracing live action) extensively, but the flavor of the books retained is far superior.
Peter Jackson ("Dead Alive") is working on a new version in New Zealand. Hopefully we have something to look forward to.
Full Body Massage (1995)
Believable interaction
Nick Roeg always provides an interesting film dealing with the loss or rejection of our primitive instincts. In this very contemporary scenario we witness the interaction of a woman art dealer and an unexpected replacement masseur. Art, idealistically, is the essence of our culture, and touch (massage) is a basic communication of truth, yet in the end we find that both these people have been stranded alone by their past failures. We are perhaps witnessing the beginning of a romance. Not so much thought-provoking as it is believable (if you've ever been addicted to massage).
Tunes of Glory (1960)
Poignant but sad
A poignant but sad story of interpersonal relationships in the hierarchy of military discipline. For those who believe that personal honor is a major goal, this movie cuts to the quick.