evryafluffy1 Reviews

Stokvel (2002– )

Stokvel deserves a wider audience

[10/10 · 8 December 2008]

I discovered this wonderful series whilst holidaying in Cape Town a couple of years back. A Stokvel is a sort of savings club run from a café in Joburg and the series follows the misadventures of this group who are all typical South Africans. No matter what happens to them, at the end of the episode it all comes right.Recorded in a strange mix of Native African languages,Afrikaans and English it has subtitles that help the viewer work out the stories, tho these are pretty easy to follow and are comedy/semi dramatic and very well written. It is very similar in style to the English series "Desmonds" which aired in the 80s but it also has parallels with Neighbours and even old style Coronation Street. It features a cast of great SA actors having a great time with sharp,clean and often hilarious scripts and enjoying every minute of it. Stokvel is SAs premiere comedy and one that deserves a much wider audience. Catch it next time you are in South Africa. You will want to take it home and watch it again and again.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Lets see the original cut

[8/10 · 10 April 2008]

Iremember reading an article on this movie in the NME in the 80s. It told how some execs at Disney did not like the movie because it went against what the studio stood for. good family entertainment. I have heard that they didn't like Watcher In The Woods either for the same reasons.Soon after they formed Touchstone Pictures and made Splash which must have been in script development at the time and thats family entertainment?. This movie really deserves a reissue as it remains one of the best live action pieces that Disney have ever done. Jonathan Pryce was perfectly cast as Mr Dark and the two child actors are refreshingly mature for a Disney movie. it seems funny that a movie that is this scary should have been made by Disney and as the house of mouse never throws anything away there must be enough for a real good DVD release of it. i notice on the comment boards that there is demand for a remake. good idea but it would have to be Jonathan Pryce as Mr dark once again and Cauron or del Toro as directors as they are the only ones with a vision dark enough for it.