marc-799 Reviews

An Evening with Utopia (1983 Video)

Judge for yourself. I've enjoyed this show over 20 times!

[9/10 · 24 July 2007]

This is an intimate yet rocking set delivered by the four man pop version of Utopia that was the best selling of their ever changing styles.

They were touring the terribly promoted but incredibly accessible "UTOPIA". From the stark self depreciating "Libertine" to the long time anthem "Just One Victory" I relived a similar show that I saw in 1984 in Georgetown, Washington DC @ "The Bayou". The film version has the suit clad band loosen up and have a great time,while Todd Rundgren does his usual overacting but finding his soulful delivery along the way.

The crowd shots are not as enrapturing as most bands would like but the vibe is very high! Judge for yourself. I've enjoyed this show over 20 times!

Happy Feet (2006)

Misleading!!!!

[4/10 · 19 July 2007]

Cute dancing penguins make my daughter happy.

That being said, I was shocked at the stereotypes, the long winded "green" message even calling humans "aliens", the complete mishmash of a musical score including sexual innuendos, and most of all by the class system portraying penguins speaking English with over the top Spanish accents.

The messages to kids (whom this is directly marketed to) were anti-religion, pro-individualism/ non-confomity (not that there's anything wrong with that!") C'm,on the father was so embarrassed! They started with the factual journey of the Emperor Penguin, then changed the story line to include monogamy, brothers and sisters...

This was a kids' movie with a strikingly liberal agenda, and I felt used! Shame on them!!!

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

witty, fast fasted, stylishly interesting

[8/10 · 30 May 2007]

I've never been motivated to leave a review here based on reading others, but the slamming of LNS is beyond accepting. The movie has a style that may, if fact, be borrowed from many other sources, but when it's on the screen, it feels complete as its' own. While the connections are not as surprising as some may say, they are certainly not spelled out for the viewer.

The dialog is a bit kitchy, but there in lies the movies' charm. Reviewers stuck on the believability factor of such dialog seem to be limiting themselves to one cine-style that we'd be limiting ourselves to only 5% (I'm making up that number) of accessible films.

LNS is a fun thinking mans' thriller that is witty, fast fasted, stylishly interesting and ENTERTAINING!!! That's what I want out of a movie, entertainment.... for those who are looking for reality, read the papers, watch CNN, take a walk in somebody else's' neighborhood. For those who like slick mysteries with interesting dialog rent or buy Lucky Number Sleven