DoctorMartin Reviews

Cold Case (2003–2010)

It's sad, really

[30 September 2007]

HUGE SPOILER ALERT

CWMFM earlier wrote, "If I can coin a term, it can be called "agenda strain," when a painfully politically correct world-view clashes jarringly with what the viewer knows to be true, in today's reality.

If we see a white character, we can assume he is a potential Klansman unless informed otherwise. All minorities are wise, noble and - of course - put upon. The American government is always evil and anything having to do with (non-Jewish) religion is suffocatingly oppressive."

Well, after tonight's show, I can report that the series' producers & writers have relaxed somewhat. Two minorities are actually two of the killers. Of course they are Asian; I'm reminded of the cartoon I once saw in which the PC teacher remarks, "Blacks are good, Hispanics are good, whites are bad and Asians we're still not sure about." And of course the other two killers are comfortably part of the Lily-white (pun intended) parade of murderers we've gotten used to.

This episode parodied the "True Love Waits" movement, which promotes the novel idea that saving your sexuality for marriage is actually a good thing. Not in Hollywoodland; of five kids in the group, two of the kids are hypocrites, one is a closeted gay and the fourth is a repressed psychopath. The only normal one of the five is the girl who joins the group because she's tired of being the school "slut" -- and other than that is perfectly happy, well-adjusted, intelligent, wise, etc. Naturally the four conspire together and murder her.

Next week the show takes on the Amish. What fun!

I suppose I might not be as angry if the show even pretended to be even handed -- in other words, if it treated ALL religions with equal contempt. How about an episode where a Buddhist monk is actually a serial killer, or a school Islamic group murders a classmate for "sinning?"

Yeah, we should all live so long. The shame of it is this used to be a moving and thought-provoking show. Too bad the producers can't resist the overwhelming urge to mock the last group in America it's OK to stereotype -- conservative Christians.

Reds (1981)

Lenin's smiling...

[1/10 · 19 July 2002]

... at the spectacle of one of Hollywood's highest paid stars making a movie about the only American buried in the Kremlin wall.... at the irony of literally millions of evil capitalist dollars being sucked from the coffers of an American studio to fund this love poem to Communism.... and at the useful idiots who swooned over this long, dull, golden turkey and nominated it for an Oscar. Fortunately, the American public was smarter; this crap lost tens of millions, or basically, a dollar for every victim of Soviet genocide.

Last Tango in Paris (1972)

Made in French, and on film...

[1/10 · 19 July 2002]

... with a name actor, it's "art." Made in English, on video, it's porn, and boring, ugly, distasteful porn at that. Brando's contender for the most overrated movie ever made -- though he is very believable as a dirty old man.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Fascism or anarchy?

[1/10 · 19 July 2002]

Those are the choices Kubrick gives us. And the one thing common to either pole is misogyny. Yes, this film has brilliant techniques. That technical skill is placed in the service of a truly evil viewpoint. A stomach-turning experience.

The Sure Thing (1985)

An underrated delight

[10/10 · 12 July 2002]

Check Rob Reiner's bio in virtually any film resource and they don't even mention this movie. Why this is so is beyond me. This is one of the overlooked gems of the 80s. I would rank it as one of Reiner's three genuine classics, along with THE PRINCESS BRIDE and THIS IS SPINAL TAP. Neither Cusack nor Zuniga could have been any better, and yet Reiner shows his directorial skill by including a cast of supporting characters that's as quirky and memorable as the leads. If you're looking for a teen romance road comedy (that isn't a gross-out soft-core flick in disguise), check this one out!

The Warriors (1979)

A cult classic

[10/10 · 8 July 2002]

Why a classic? Well, from a purely technical standpoint, THE WARRIORS has outstanding cinematography and editing. The use of various genres of pop music as counterpoint and atmosphere is at least the equal of AMERICAN GRAFFITI. From a writing standpoint, the film has an intriguing and fast-paced plot, interesting individual scenes, and memorable and often witty dialogue. The acting is not Golden Globe-quality, but for the genre it's very very good. And the fight scenes are probably the best ever choreographed for an American film -- and they are fight scenes, not gunfights.

Why cult? Because this movie is the premiere example of the urban fantasy adventure, with the emphasis on fantasy. Reviewers who deride the film for its lack of "realism" miss the point; you might as well sneer at WEST SIDE STORY because real gangs don't dance. If you enjoy good guys-and-bad guys action, and you can suspend your disbelief long enough to accept Hill's fantastic view of New York, you will find yourself agreeing with the Warriors' leader that THE WARRIORS is indeed "the best."

Casablanca (1942)

If you haven't seen it, do so ASAP

[10/10 · 8 July 2002]

The only bad part about loving the film is that there's really not much to add, since CASABLANCA is one of the most written-about movies ever, and since virtually everyone loves it. All I can do is reiterate -- if you haven't seen it, do so.