srgenius Reviews

Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001 Video)

Disney's best sequel

[4 May 2002]

Disney has a habit of re-hashing old movies and they don't generally work. Look at the videos in the Aladdin series. This time, however, they have successfully recaptured the characters from the original, and built an entirely new story around them. Granted, many of the voices from the original have passed on, but the new voices do pretty well.

PS -- the dogcatcher is NOT Don Knotts...

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

No sappy romance. No stale jokes. No touchy.

[4 May 2002]

A radical departure from Disney's standard approach, this movie will appeal to everyone in all age groups. My 3-year-old daughter loves it, and so do I. This couldn't be a Disney movie, there are no princesses! I would pass up all the classics to watch this movie. I suppose that technically the animation isn't as good as Snow White. All other aspects of the movie are much better. I laughed so hard I cried.

Get the DVD with all the extras.

Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)

Oh WOW! We can't go higher than 10?

[10/10 · 26 January 2002]

I have three movies that tie for number one. Two are comedies, and the third is "The Wall" by Pink Floyd. I have been watching "The Wall" in theatres (ain't midnite movies great!), at home on video cassette, and now on the Special Edition DVD (which I highly recommend!) I bought an audio copy the day it was released in 1979, and several more since!

Music is a special art. Through it, imho, emotions can be stirred as no other medium can. "The Wall" is as impressive with only sound as it is with images. Being a true opera (no dialogue), the video only enhances the music. Another example of Rock Opera is "Tommy" by The Who. In that case, however, there is too much dialogue, and if you listen only to the audio it sounds like a collection of great music but not a story.

The exception is Gerald Scarfe's animation. "Goodbye Blue Skies", "Empty Spaces" and "The Trial" scenes are absolutely amazing (or gut-wrenching -- depending on your perspective). Watching these sequences (which were produced by Roger Waters himself) adds a new dimension to what was a truly incredible beginning.

My recommendation is, get a copy of the lyrics or get the Special Edition DVD and turn the lyrics on (if you don't already have them committed to memory). Wait till you are home alone late at night. STAY SOBER! Alcohol and drugs will only lessen the impact, trust me. Now crank up your stereo, and allow absolutely no interruptions. Immerse yourself in the experience that is "The Wall".

Dad... Can I Borrow the Car? (1970 TV Movie)

A great way to prep for Driver's Ed

[8/10 · 12 January 1999]

This is a great movie to prep young students for the real world of Driver's Ed and getting your first car. Although the hairstyles and car styles have changed slightly since 1970, the basic ideas remain the same. From the fast-talking used-car salesman to the horrific DMV tester, no detail is left out. Rent it, show it to your teenager, and see if they still ask, "Dad, Can I Borrow the Car?"

Blazing Saddles (1974)

A hilarious view on the idiocy of racism in the old west

[4 November 1998]

Blazing Saddles, by far Brooks' best work, shows how silly racism can be. Chock full of disparaging remarks about those of other ethnic backgrounds, this movie makes a 'dazzling urbanite' black man sheriff of a small fictitious town in the old west. He was greeted with slurs and guns, but his quick wits saved his life. Old-fashioned friendliness doesn't work, but stopping Mongo wins the townspeople's trust. "Pretty soon they'll talk to you in broad daylight," offers Jim. Eventually, Sheriff Bart leads the townspeople to a victory over the evil Hedley ("that's HedLey!") Lamarr.

Blazing Saddles is my favorite movie of all time. From start to about 20 minutes before the end, I love it. I can live without the Hollywood fight scene, however. That's gotta be the stupidest thing ever included in a movie.

Dark Star (1974)

The stupidest, most boring movie I've ever seen in my life.

[4 November 1998]

Absolutely devoid of a plot, imagine my surprise when I found out the great John Carpenter directed this drivel. Dark Star was over an hour of nothing built around the mildly climactic "Bob" quoting scripture at the end. I rented this movie one time to show a friend how bad it was, and he got mad and walked out.

Don't waste your time.