Reviews

Despite its garish title, "Fashions of 1934" is actually a pretty decent movie, certainly better than the bad reputation it's stuck with. Armed with a snappy script and fast paced direction, the actors in "Fashions" shine, showing off their abilities, whether they be comedic, dramatic or both. William Powell makes a good old rascal, the decent "un decent" man that was a virtual staple at Warner Bros. (the studio who produced this film) at the time. Bette Davis, all glammed up in red lipstick and classy dresses, shows off a rare ability for humor, fitting right in to the film's light hearted tone. As Powell's sidekick, Frank McHugh almost steals the show, mastering and even rising above the script's punchlines by exaggerated facial expressions and crude but effective slapstick. "Fashions of 1934" isn't a comedy classic nor does it aim to be one. It simply wants to entertain the audience with good humor, effective acting and direction that moves things along at a quick pace. By all accounts, it has succeeded.

"Priceless" launched the career of its star, blonde goddess Jenna Jameson, and in this you can see why. Her performance is remakable: intense yet quiet, erotic yet innocent. Her match up with Peter North ranks as one of the best scenes in the industry. If your interested in a video that tells a complex story with erotic overtones, than this is your movie. "Priceless" is indeed worth price.

Flipping through the countless channels which showed nothing but boring "erotic" thrillers, I finally gave up and settled on "Body Chemistry3". To my surprise(and slight embarrassment), I enjoyed this picture, not as an erotic thriller(there are no thrills and the sex scenes are so mechanical I thought the Pep Boys would show up!) but as an unintentional comedy. I laughed throughout this movie because the stars, and the director, takes this story so seriously.

The story cocerns an accomplished TV producer, Alan Clay(Andrew Stevens, who throws around names "Meryl" and "Glenn" like he could actually get them) who is pushed into producing a story about Dr. Claire Archer(Shari Shattuck), a beautiful sociopath(and a shrink!)who, in BC 2, murdered and stalked a highschool sweetheart but made it look like he did it(he died as a result of her manipulations). She soon seduces Alan, who is married to an ambitious TV actress(Morgan Fairchild), and weaves a tangled web where several people get murdered. In the end, well..let's just say there's a Body Chemistry 4 out there as well.

The campiness factor lies in the screenplay. The film has essentially B-grade actors who talk like their big stars working in the Hollywood Industry. They sip "hip" bottles water and try to talk the lingo of Hollywood showbusiness. The production values of the movie only make these situations even funnier than they already are.

Andrew Stevens gives his typically Stevens performance: dead serious and bland. He tries so hard to be an "actor" that you'll laugh at his straining. Morgan Fairchild plays essentially herself, long fingernails and all. She's oddly appealing in an annoying kind of way. Chick Vennera, Delia Sheppard, Stella Stevens and a pre jackie Brown Robert Forster all give appealing bad performances. Shattuck, who looks like Heather Locklear with a lazy eye, is the only cast member who is not bad and she gives the part a surprising amount of sopa opera juciness that is sorely missing in Shannon Tweed's lackluster take on the character in 4.

Would I recommend this to see if it was released in a theatre? No but since it was released to video(and subsequent pay channels), I'd recommend it for some good laughs and a good time.

"Mother's Boys" was released quietly in theatres in 1993 before heading to video hell, where it is largely forgtten. This is unfortunate because this movie is a fine, quiet thriller, evoking a sense of mystery and horror that few films achieve.

The credit goes to the director, Yves Simoneau, who directs the film with a trance like grip that gives the movie a dream like effect. His use of colors, from warm, brown and red hues connected to the happy family, to the cold blue and grey that surrounds Curtis's bitter mother, are perectly used, as is the wonderful score by George S. Clinton. The acting is solid, with jamie Lee Curtis and Joanne Whalley Kilmer giving excellent performances as the mother who wants her family back and the girlfriend striving to piece her life together. Peter Gallager, Vanessa Redgrave and Like Edwards are also memorable as Curtis's abandonded family.

"Mother's Boys" is a film the Brits used to make in the olden days, a tense, psychological thriller that offers no easy answers. There is no real villian or hero here and that's what makes this movie stand out. I may be reaching too far here but "Mother's Boys" is a movie Hitchcock would be proud of.