Prime Time: Prancer (1989)

If you are going to make a movie about a reindeer that may belong to Santa then you may find yourself in a bit of a quandary. Everyone knows Rudolph, but the bright red nose would be a dead giveaway. The other reindeer all look like normal reindeer, as far as I am aware, but people may not remember the other names. Prancer is a decent choice, paired up with Dancer in the seasonal rhyme. For future reference, the nine reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh are as follows: Rudolph, Prancer, Dancer, Cupid, Stupid, Donna, Blitzkreig Bop, Basher, and Smasher. Thank me later. No need to check those names. That list is absolutely guaranteed to be absolutely correct.

Anyway, this film is about Prancer. Maybe. It’s a reindeer that is wounded, and a young girl (Jessica, played by Rebecca Harrell Tickell) becomes convinced that he is Prancer. Her aim is to get him fit and ready to rejoin Santa by Christmas, which means housing and feeding the animal without her father (Sam Elliott) finding out. She will also be trying to hide her actions from her abrasive brother (John Duda), while enlisting the help of the local vet (Abe Vigoda) and approaching a seemingly grinch-like neighbour (Cloris Leachman) with an offer that will allow her to earn some money for a big bag of food.

Director John Hancock doesn’t have a very memorable filmography, and nor does writer Greg Taylor (although he did later work on the much-loved Jumanji), but I have to say that both men do some great work here. It’s not groundbreaking, and it is completely predictable, but this is a comforting watch, feeling very much like a seasonal special episode of something like The Waltons or Little House On The Prairie.

That’s not to say that all is sweetness and light throughout. Times are tough, very tough, and there’s extra tension, and extra risk for our young lead, when Jessica finds out that her father is planning to send her away to stay with an aunt (played by Rutanya Alda). Hiding a reindeer isn’t likely to get her in the good books, but Jessica considers it to be an invaluable service, not only helping a wounded animal, but also ensuring that Christmas goes ahead as planned.

The cast all do a very good job, and make the film much better than it otherwise would have been. Tickell is a well-rounded young girl, as swift to pout and sulk as she is to widen her eyes and plead for help. She’s very cute, but also has moments of entertaining cheek/meanness (a highlight being the scene in which she believes she has been betrayed by her friend, played by Ariana Richards). Elliott has a strong fanbase for good reason, and he’s very good as the strained father who doesn’t realise why his children cannot understand his pragmatic way of dealing with the harsh reality threatening their home and way of life. Duda is enjoyably irritating, from his snide insults to his ear jewelry, but he gets to improve a lot in time for the grand finale. Then you have the mighty Vigoda and Leachman, both giving wonderful little turns in their respective roles, and both allowed to show how our lead helps to soften their sharp edges and turn those frowns upside-down. Alda does well enough in her small role, and eagle-eyed viewers will spot a very brief turn from Johnny Galecki.

Technically, nothing really stands out. The score from Maurice Jarre is pleasant enough, although not that memorable, and there’s sparing use of special effects implying those little moments of Yuletide magic that are often accompanied by a twinkly sound effect. This is all about the gentle joy of a talented cast helping to deliver a tale that effectively mixes some good humour (special mention of the sequence that has Elliott constantly just missing the sight of the reindeer walking around his property) with a lot of heart.

I know that some will find this a bit dull, and maybe not festive enough, but I ended up liking it way more than I expected. I recommend it as a bit of a gem to people who have already worked through their usual selection of festive film fare.

7/10

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Lake Placid 2 (2007)

It may sound like ridiculous hyperbole, but I can think of few first sequels that have been as big a step down in quality as Lake Placid 2, a film that was released directly to the Sci-Fi/SyFy Channel in 2007, eight years after the sharp and witty first movie. It's a miracle that this is even watchable, thanks to writers Tood Hurvitz and Howie Miller at least occasionally trying to sprinkle in some of the humour that made the first film work so well.

The plot is very simple. Killer crocodiles are on the loose. Yes, there's more than one this time around. Sheriff James Riley (John Schneider) ends up working with Fish & Game Officer Emily (Sarah Lafleur) to get to the bottom of things. They end up being assisted by a poacher named Struthers (Sam McMurray), as well as his assistant, Ahmad (Joe Holt). Meanwhile, elsewhere around the lake area, the Sheriff's son, Scott (Chad Michael Collins), is enjoying the company of Kerri (Alicia Ziegler) and a few other potential croc snacks. And you have Cloris Leachman in the role of Sadie Bickerman, a relative of the character played by Betty White in the first movie.

It's a real shame about Lake Placid 2, and about the other films that would come after it. Some of the people involved try, despite the first film setting a surprisingly high benchmark, but then they have to rely on someone delivering the special effects. These special effects seem to have been created by a CGI company who forgot about their deadline until the very last hour, after having spent a full day in their local pub. The killer crocodiles shown here are just about on a par with anything seen in the earlier Resident Evil videogames. They're crude, move without the menacing fluidity of a real crocodile, and generate much more laughter than tension.

Director David Flores has just over half a dozen TV movies to his credit, as a director, and it's no surprise to see that most of his films were in this kind of vein (i.e. standard SyFy Channel movie stuff). Hurvitz and Miller have spent most of their career writing for TV shows, but they don't do a terrible job here. Yes, you get plenty of familiarity, because of the simplicity of the set-ups and the need to nod to the first film, but they at least try to craft some decent chemistry between the main adult leads.

Schneider is a decent enough lead, acting nicely laid back and easygoing for the most part. Lafleur does well alongside him, although she's often just there to explain either the creature or the background of new characters. McMurray is a lot of fun, although I did feel sorry for Holt, stuck playing a character who feels not too far removed from a "Friday" character (from Robinson Crusoe, not from the Ice Cube/Chris Tucker movie). Collins, Ziegler, and co. are all much less interesting, and obviously there to be placed in peril. Leachman is enjoyable, and would have been an absolute highlight if her character wasn’t just there to try recreating the fun turn from White.

Lake Placid was a great film. From what I know of the sequels, and there are many, none of them come close to the original. But that won’t stop me watching them all anyway (some of them for a second time).

3/10

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Ani-MAY-tion Month: Beavis And Butt-Head Do America (1996)

I was never a fan of Beavis and Butt-Head. I have to start off this review with that confession. I'm still not a fan of their TV work, but that's because I have never gone back to give them another chance. I watched some clips years ago when MTV was still a bit of a novelty to us here in the UK (well, still a bit of a novelty to me, at least) and I just didn't find them that amusing. I'd rather watch the music videos that were featured on their show without any surrounding distractions. When this movie came out I had no interest in it at all. Then I started to hear some good word on it. And then some more, and some more. It seemed to be winning over even people, like myself, who didn't expect to enjoy it. So I took a chance and bought it. Thankfully, I ended up really enjoying it.

The story starts with our two main characters (both voiced by Mike Judge, who also directed and wrote the movie, with help from a few others) at a loss when their TV is stolen. On a quest for a replacement TV, they end up in the same motel room as Muddy Grimes (Bruce Willis), a man waiting for the strangers that he has hired to kill his wife. Misunderstanding the request, Beavis and Butt-Head are only too eager to accept the opportunity to "do" Dallas Grimes (Demi Moore). They immediately embark on a trip across America, and it's not long until the authorities are hot on their tail.

It might seem like Mike Judge is a one-man band at times, but he's helped here by Mike de Seve, Brian Mulroney and Yvette Kaplan in the directing department, and Joe Stillman and Brian Mulroney (again) helped with the script. That may explain why this movie is so enjoyable, but it may also be the case that Judge does better in the feature film context. Having enjoyed Office Space, Idiocracy and Extract, I suspect it may be the latter.

The main characters here are still as stupid and immature as they've always been. Judge is sensible not to change them too much, but the many supporting characters add a lot of humour. Cloris Leachman is a sweet old woman, unaware of the mindset of the young men who keep ending up beside her as they head towards the same destination, Robert Stack is a stern and determined ATF agent, and Eric Bogosian also provides a few different voices.

The animation style is in line with the TV show, the soundtrack has some great rock tracks on there (as well as the beautiful ballad, "Lesbian Seagull"), and there are a lot of laughs to be had as our two juvenile, horny teenagers wander around in a state of blissful ignorance while dangerous situations develop around them.

And I'll admit it, I crack up every time that Beavis has an identity crisis and starts to refer to himself as The Great Cornholio. It's not big, it's not clever, but it's damn funny.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Beavis-Butt-Head-Do-America-Various/dp/B00BTYIHY2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1399587887&sr=8-2&keywords=beavis+and+butthead+do+america

Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Croods (2013)

There was nothing that appealed to me when I saw the trailer for The Croods. It looked okay, I guess, but it also looked quite bland and unfunny. In fact, had it not appeared on Netflix (ahhhh, thank you Netflix) I probably wouldn't have given it a look for some time. But it did appear on Netflix. And I thought I should at least give it a try.

Well, within the first 10 minutes I was glad that I'd decided to give the movie a chance.

The Croods was definitely sold short. It's not up there with the very best animated movies that I've seen in recent years, but that's simply because the best animated movies nowadays are SO good. Thankfully, this film is very enjoyable, and also benefits from visuals that cram in so much colour and detail that even the more ridiculous onscreen moments can appear photo-realistic at times.

The story concerns a prehistoric family who live in a cave for most of their time. This is because the father (Nicolas Cage) wants them all to be safe, even if it means that they're not too happy. The unhappiest member of the family is Eep (Emma Stone), a young girl who wants to get out there and explore the world. Well, she gets her wish when she meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds) just as some major environmental changes force the family out of their cave and wayyyyyyyy out of their comfort zone.

Building the comedy from the cast of characters and situations they find themselves in, as opposed to a load of pop culture references and one-liners, The Croods is good fun for the whole family that doesn't always take the easy option. Oh, okay, it DOES often take the easy option, but not without an enjoyable feint in a different direction before getting back on track.

Directors Chris Sanders and Kirk De Micco, who developed the screenplay from a story they worked on with John Cleese (yes, John Cleese), have done a great job, balancing spectacle with humour and heart. There are times when The Croods becomes *shock, horror* slightly mawkish, but it's always just the right level of sweet without becoming sickening.

That balance is helped by the vocal cast, who all seem to have a lot of fun. Cage should really do more work like this. His voice is instantly recognisable, but his character gets away from his usual tics and twitches thanks to the fact that it's delivered by animators. Stone is very enjoyable as the little girl wanting to grow up and strike out, Reynolds is good as the young man showing people a way to potential safety, and Cloris Leachman and Clark Duke both provide some chuckles as, respectively, Gran and Lunk. Catherine Keener has the most thankless role, as the mother/voice of reason, but she's just fine in the role.

I've not heard many people discuss The Croods, although it appears to have done well enough at the box office to get a sequel greenlit, but I hope that its reputation starts to grow. As surprised as I am to be saying it, this may very well be the second-best American animated movie of 2013 (with the top spot held by the brilliant Monsters University).

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Croods-Blu-ray-3D-Copy/dp/B00CM98DPQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1391776071&sr=8-3&keywords=the+croods

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

As hard-boiled as they come, Kiss Me Deadly is essential viewing for film noir fans, and proves to be an interesting and dark movie over half a century after it was first released.

Ralph Meeker plays Mike Hammer, a private detective who finds himself into something way over his head after he picks up a young woman named Christina (Cloris Leachman). Christina is very scared, and she's right to feel that way. Certain people aren't wanting her to live. Which means that, once Hammer is involved, certain people don't want him to live either. Despite a major attempt to put him in his grave, Hammer smells something BIG and sets out to get to the bottom of things, despite warnings from both allies and enemies.

Directed by Robert Aldrich, this is a film as archetypal and influential as it is twisted and strange. From the unique style of the opening credits to the very last shot, this is a slightly disorienting, slightly unnerving movie with a dark, dark heart. The script by A. I. Bezzerides, based on the book by Mickey Spillane, is a corker, full of snappy, cool dialogue while also dropping breadcrumbs that will lead everyone to a powerful finale.

The acting may not be so consistent, but there's plenty to enjoy. Meeker is great in the lead role, acting cold and selfish much of the time, keeping his emotions in check until people he truly cares for end up endangered. Leachman may not be onscreen for long, but she makes a great impression in her first cinema feature. Maxine Cooper, as Velda Wickman, has some more screentime, and makes an equally great impression as  Hammer's assistant who cares for him a great deal. And then there's Gaby Rodgers as Carver. Her acting isn't as good, she's a bit stilted when she's not overdoing the nervous and vulnerable schtick, but it somehow ends up being good enough come the end of the movie. Jack Elam is as memorable as ever as one of the henchmen who tussles with Hammer, and Paul Stewart and Albert Dekker round out the cast of villains.

Becoming much more than just the sum of its parts, Kiss Me Deadly is a thrilling detective story, unflinching at times and defiantly unafraid to show the many wrongs in the world and how they can't always be put right, even by someone with the best intentions and a whole lot of, perhaps foolhardy, courage.

9/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kiss-Deadly-DVD-Ralph-Meeker/dp/B00009XW8K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384038807&sr=8-1&keywords=kiss+me+deadly

High Anxiety (1977)

It's another top class spoof from Mel Brooks, this time taking aim at the movies of Alfred Hitchcock, and while I enjoyed many individual moments (the riff on The Birds is juvenile but also damn funny) I didn't feel that the whole thing worked as well as it could, or should, have.

The biggest plot developments, and indeed the title itself, are derived from Vertigo - the film that, despite stiff competition, just edges ahead of the pack to remain Hitchcock's finest hour. Mel Brooks plays Richard H. Thorndyke, a man who is appointed as the new administrator for the Psychoneurotic Institute For The Very Very Nervous. There's something not quite right at the institute, something that Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman) and Dr. Charles Montague (Harvey Korman) seem to be covering up. Maybe it's to do with a patient named Arthur Brisbane (Albert Whitlock), a man kept there despite him being in fine physical and mental health according to his daughter, Victoria (Madeline Kahn).

Written by Brooks, as well as Ron Clark, Barry Levinson and Rudy De Luca, the film lacks the gag quotient of, say, Blazing Saddles while the references to the original movies aren't always as immediately recognisable as they are in Young Frankenstein. Having said that, there are plenty of details and little touches that will please fans of Hitchcock even if they aren't always played for laughs.

The performances are all pretty good, in line with the material, but the best moments come from the fantastic Cloris Leachman and the equally fantastic Harvey Korman. In fact, the very best moments feature both stars bouncing off one another and wringing the maximum amount of laughs from each line.

Okay, so comparing this movie to Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein is probably quite unfair because they are two of the best spoofs ever made so I should make it clear that High Anxiety certainly rewards attentive viewers and will undoubtedly be a film that I return to now and again for some guaranteed chuckles.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Mel-Brooks-Collection-DVD/dp/B000AM6NCM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348995965&sr=8-2

Charley And The Angel (1973)

Fred MacMurray takes the lead role in this fairly amusing Disney movie that sees him playing Charley Appleby, a man who is visited by an angel (Harry Morgan) and told that his number is up. This, of course, comes as a surprise to Charley and he immediately starts to worry about getting things in order for his family and trying to make up for lost time. His two young boys treat the father of their neighbouring friend more like their own father, his daughter (Kathleen Cody) is at the age when most of her thoughts revolve around boys (one in the shape of Ed Begley Jr. and one in the shape of Kurt Russell) and his wife (Cloris Leachman) is just used to getting on with things on her own while Charlie works hard and spends his spare time fretting and not being all that much fun. Thankfully, before Charlie has to shuffle off the mortal coil he gets a bit of breathing space, literally, as the angel designated to collect him figures out just why he hasn't died YET and when the exact moment will occur.

Based on the book "The Golden Evenings Of Summer" by Will Stanton (the screenplay was then written by Roswell Rogers) and directed by Vincent McEveety, Charley And The Angel is reminiscent of many other movies about people getting one last chance to change their priorities and put things right in their life. It's also fairly enjoyable after a bit of a lethargic start. In fact, things quickly pick up as soon as Harry Morgan appears and starts having fun in the role of the angel. There's plenty of standard domestic drama but there's also a fun plot strand that sees the two young Appleby boys unwittingly helping some criminals to move large quantities of alcohol.

The cast all do a grand job. MacMurray has given a number of better performances in his career but he's perfectly fine here as the father and husband who is suddenly faced with the realisation of how much he has unwittingly disappointed his loved ones. Cloris Leachman is excellent as the loving wife who starts to worry about her husband's changed personality. Kathleen Cody is bright and bubbly and Begley Jr. and Russell are good enough as the boys vying for her affection. Then we have Harry Morgan, also known as the great Harry Morgan. He's great. I've never seen him be anything less than great but he has a lot of fun here as the playful angel who takes a liking to Charley.

There are others onscreen and they all do well, especially Vincent Van Patten and Scott Kolden as the two youngest Appleby children. The script isn't crammed full of great lines and it's not that sharp but it does enough to keep you interested in the characters and to keep you watching to the very end. Everyone gets a chance to develop nicely after that faltering opening act and there are enough moments of mild amusement to make this worth at least one watch during a rainy afternoon when you have nothing else to hand. Faint praise, I know, but at least it's praise.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Charley-Angel-Fred-MacMurray/dp/B005G82GT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347648645&sr=8-1&keywords=charley+and+the+angel

History Of The World: Part 1 (1981)

History can often be a dull, dry subject. So any movie covering the history of the world is something that you may approach with some trepidation. Knowing that the movie is written and directed by Mel Brooks, however, puts a very different spin on things.

Taking potshots at a few different chapters in history, from the days of the caveman to the days of the Roman Empire and from The Spanish Inquisition to the French Revolution, we get the usual scattershot approach. Gags of all varieties fly thick and fast and if you find yourself groaning at one then don't worry because another, that you'll probably laugh at, will be along within a couple of minutes.

The cast are all superb, and many of them will be familiar to anyone who has already enjoyed other movies from Mr. Brooks. The writer-director himself takes on a number of roles, Gregory Hines really enjoys himself in his first cinematic outing, Dom DeLuise and Madeline Kahn are as much fun as they usually are and more laughs are delivered by Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Spike Milligan, Pamela Stephenson, Sid Caesar and Shecky Greene.

A lot of the jokes are obvious, but not necessarily less funny because of it, and it's quite reassuring to actually see the old "walk this way" gag. There are so many little treats throughout that it's hard to select favourite moments to mention in this review but the undeniable highlight for me, however, was seeing The Spanish Inquisition given the glossy, Hollywood, musical number treatment (with absolutely wonderful and hilarious lyrics AND a catchy melody).

It's sad to think that modern audiences may only know Brooks for such films as Robin Hood: Men In Tights and Dracula: Dead And Loving It when his work in the 70s and early 80s contains moments of sheer brilliance to set it on a par with any other classics that you can think of. This movie may not be one of his very best but it's full of enough intelligence and wit to make you glad that you gave it a watch.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Of-The-World-Part/dp/B000BPND4O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334859558&sr=8-1