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Reviews
Babes 2: Lost in Beaver Creek (2002)
Beverly Lynne: Back to the Sixties?
Let's face it - late-night soft-core flicks on "Skinemax" are not famous (or even desirable) for superb plot and character development. If it has any plot at all that can glue together the various sex scenes, that's a plus. No, the real interest in these films is the sex. Steamy scenes that are just this side of hard-core. Nothing too risque that a couple could not watch and enjoy it. However, the primary audience here is guys, and guys would prefer they stay only barely inside the soft-core boundary. "Babes 2: Lost in Beaver Creek" (God, what an obvious title) does not disappoint. It's just racy enough and has plenty of the "good" scenes. Unfortunately, the starring role of Beverly Lynne as the twin sisters, while raising expectations because she's such a hottie (and the best-looking woman in the film), ultimately disappoints. Anyone who has seen her in her two appearances in the series "Hotel Erotica" knows that she can be totally unabashed when doing sex scenes. However, it appears from this film that she now is trying to draw the line on just how much nudity she'll show. At no time in the movie did she have a full-frontal shot, although all of the other female characters did. In no sex scene did she appear without wearing panties or some other crotch-covering garment. Apparently the producers knew the audience wouldn't like this, so in one sex scene she claims the bodysuit she's wearing is crotchless, thus justifying her wearing it throughout the scene. Of course, all of the guys she's with manage to keep their boxers on as well, so we're left to assume that all of her liaisons are by way of small holes in otherwise unneeded clothing. Frankly, it's an unpleasant blast from the past. Soft-core skin flicks of the sixties were famous for men and women engaging in simulated sex while both still wore their underwear. That's all the censors would allow, so we had to overlook the ludicrousness of passing frottage off as realistic sex. Today, however, soft-core films constantly push the envelope when it comes to the explicit nature of sex scenes. If a star appears only partially disrobed and has lackluster scenes, it usually is because she is trying to distance herself from the reality of the type film she is doing. Bottom line, Ms. Lynne, is that you do skin flicks and most likely that's all you're ever going to do, at least as a principal actor. Traci Lords was a fluke. If you want to cover yourself up so that you can believe you're an "actor" and not an adult film performer, that's fine. But it is a waste of some rather spectacular "assets" that your true audience really appreciates. I rate the movie, as a soft-core flick, with three stars out of five because it had a decent plot and some interesting twists at the end (including a wry put-down of psychics). However, I rate Beverly Lynne's new-found prudery a paltry one-half star.
Tail Lights Fade (1999)
Unlikable cast means forgettable film
As a fan of Indie films, I've learned to ignore the failings in lighting, sound, film stock and other technical issues. What makes or breaks such a movie is writing, casting and directing. I have no complaints whatsoever about the cast, but the writing and directing are the downfall of this flick. As the film opens you anticipate being drawn into the story by a very good corps of young actors, each of whom should have a decent future in films. However, early on you find yourself struggling to stay focused (and, if you've seen the film, you realize that's a problem for the cast as well). Tanya Allen is very unconvincing as the "concerned" sister of the really big-time dealer Ben. Her emotional range is somewhere between Ali MacGraw and Richard Gere. Worse still, she makes her character unsympathetic and then slides her downhill to just plain despicable. By the end of the film, you really WISH she was locked away in some God-forsaken tiny college in Calgary, keeping the rest of the world safe from such a self-righteous, lemon-sucking harridan. The viewer musters some concern for the other main characters, but only in comparison to the loathsome Angie. One never succeeds in feeling any real emotion for the lot of them. I never felt this was the fault of the actors (well ... with the possible exception of Allen, whom I'll probably avoid in future cinematic selections). It's that pesky ol' script that smells like carp. Banal and wooden dialog, brimful of cliches. Cole asks, "What about loyalty?" Well, hey, what about loyalty to the audience? Every time it appears one of the characters will disappear from the film after some contrived argument, you think to yourself, "Finally, at least one will bite the dust! Only three or four more to go!" Alas, they keep coming back for more, dragging us with them 'til the bitter end. And, without revealing too much detail, the end IS bitter. To me the highest moment (should have expected it, considering the film's "heritage") was Jason Mewes having his turn at playing Silent Bob. You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll slash your wrists! Spare yourself - it's too late for me! Give this one a pass.
The Prime Gig (2000)
A tangled web
Knowing the subject matter of this film - shilling fraudulent "whatever's" in a boiler room - I assumed it would follow closely in the footsteps of David Mamet's incomparable "Glengarry Glen Ross" (as was the case in the over-hyped and disappointing "Boiler Room"). Almost immediately, however, it becomes apparent that such is not the case. While "GGR" gave us stark images of the salemen's desperation in the context of their work, "Gig" delves completely into the life of Pendleton (Penny) Wise, played by Vince Vaughn. It is in showing the emptiness of his entire existence - and not just his work life - that one can see how susceptible he is to the machinations of the almost mythical Kelly Grant (Ed Harris), and his partner Caitlin Carlson (Julia Ormond). From his shabby apartment to his touching relationship with childhood friend Joel (Rory Cochrane) - who is, in spite of or because of his physical handicap, an even bigger loser than Wise and all of Wise's foundering sales cronies - you know he is destined for littler and worser (hey, if Shakespeare can use it, so can I) things. Wise is, as Grant puts it, "a big fish in a little pond." His ego won't let him believe it, but ultimately experience is a hard teacher. For those who just like Harris' style, you won't be disappointed. And Ormond does manage to sum up far more emotion than she did in the pathetic "Sabrina." But it is Vaughn, as stoic as Sheriff and as cynical as Trent Walker, who draws you into his character and keeps you from guessing too far ahead. The movie is worth watching just for the last five minutes or so, from the time Grant claims, "I'm not a closer" to the rolling credits. You'll think about this one for quite a while after viewing. And that's a good thing.
Sabrina (1995)
Charming romance, but not perfect
Most critics panned this film because it did not measure up, in their opinions, to the original with Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. Frankly, I never believed Bogart in the role of Linus in the original, at least not in his conversion. Bill Holden and Greg Kinnear both have the same kind of personality to make David's character work.
Of course, in truth, Harrison Ford was not that believable as the parsimonious scold - his conversion seemed too easy. On the few occasions in his career where he's attempted to play an unsavory person, he's had mixed results. I think Michael Douglas might have been a better choice for Linus - he can be both Gordon Gekko and Andrew Shepherd without raising eyebrows.
The saving grace for this film is Sidney Pollack's direction. The story flows well and it's hard not to smile often. Only the jaded and cynical will not feel better at the end for having watched it.