Deep Throat (1972)

Doctor: Having a clitoris at the bottom of your throat is better than having no clitoris at all.
Linda: That’s easy for you to say! Imagine having your balls on your ears!
Doctor: Well… then I could hear myself cumming!

You know it, you love it, you pretend not to know what it is in front of certain company, it’s “Deep Throat,” a movie that’s become so utterly famous that it’s also helped to define the oral sex technique that’s like average fellatio, but amps it up a notch. I won’t sit here and explain the difference between regular blow jobs, and deep throating, because I know that you know what the actual difference is, no matter how much you deny it in the end. “Deep Throat,” much like “Debbie Does Dallas,” is one of the porn classics that really go beyond its genre. This is a film that’s become a staple of pop culture and really did shake everyone up to their boots for the simple fact that it was a huge hit. And for the fact that the success for the film was less about the film’s quality, and more on the gravitas it brought with it to seedy movie theaters. I mean what’s not to like about it? It’s only an hour long, features hardcore sex scenes, the late great Linda Lovelace, and has a title that pretty much describes the entire plot.

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Scoop (2006)

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After the painfully overrated “Match Point,” I was basically ready to welcome anything else that Allen could offer us. Sadly, going out of New York and onto the UK for his comedy thrillers has worked against Allen, and he’s pretty out of his element, as it becomes apparent with “Scoop.” All essence of genius and life is gone, and every one liner that Allen hurls our way manages to fall flatter and flatter to the point where it becomes rather pathetic. Especially when you consider the fact he’s now resorted to remaking his own movies, with “Scoop” being a loose remake of “Manhattan Murder Mystery.”

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Miracle in the Rain (1956)

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 I’m glad “Miracle in the Rain” turned out to be a great romance, because I was pretty much disappointed by the Valentine’s packet Warner Home Video sent over to review. “Miracle in the Rain” is mostly just a show for Van Johnson. Johnson, ever the versatile entertainer, really shines well in “Miracle in the Rain,” a romance drama about a soldier on leave who meets a young woman one day and sparks a romance with her. Their relationship is lovely right from the get go, as Johnson’s character Art seems to break the shell of Wyman’s introverted Ruth. He sparks conversations, almost interrupts her life, and she is a better person for it. “Miracle in the Rain” is one of many war time romance dramas about the effects of World War II on the world and the individuals within it.

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The Break-Up (2006)

the-break-up-550x309I’m one who personally doesn’t enjoy the quick talking shtick that has basically made Vince Vaughn’s career. Not only is it a rather tiresome shtick, but hearing him talking like he’s wired on coke is often rather mind-numbing. So you pair up Vaughn’s coke head comedy, with Jennifer Aniston’s perpetually bland acting, and you have this vehicle that hopes to create a neo-“Odd Couple” vibe that never works. Romance comedies hardly ever work these days, and it’s because we have to care about relationships between two obnoxious characters with no connection to the audience. How can I give a shit about two people like this?

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Disturbia (2007)

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If you’re willing to ignore all the obvious positions our characters are put in, “Disturbia” will be pretty excellent. I wasn’t willing to ignore all the obvious marks, so I found it to be pretty damn frustrating. Let’s see, there’s our character Kale who is known for being a liar and deceiver, then there’s our mom who is so self-involved, she can’t listen to our hero, and of course a cop who has it out for him who we know will just come in the nick of time to help our hero when in trouble. And then there’s that nasty habit of the film being so utterly derivative. If there was ever going to be a remake of “Rear Window,” you could basically re-title this and not know the difference. “Disturbia” is a pretty cheesy thriller that is never afraid to flaunt that it’s so predictable.

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The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

pursuit-of-happyness-in-spirelsSo, why was this such an easy film to review, and like? Because hell, I’ve been through situations very similar to this. Trying to get by, almost being thrown into the streets, being forced to watch parents suffer to ease their children’s. I’ve seen it all. And in the end of the film, it’s still a situation that’s happening to thousands all over the world. “The Pursuit of Happyness” is an admirable every man tale about the working man’s attempts not to make it big in the world, but in his attempts to just get by. Smith plays Chris Gardner with a lot of gusto offering up a truly solid performance.

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American Pastime (2007)

I’m always grateful of films that manage to use its cast of actors for their talents and not the pigeonholes they’ve had put upon them. “American Pastime” is one of the few movies I’ve seen in years that uses its Asian American cast to provide some strong performances, and not fight mystic martial arts of some kind. There’s always talk of African Americans being used poorly in America, but the most suppressed race in the film medium are the Asian Americans. “American Pastime” brings out a strong turn out from its cast of seasoned veterans exploring the plight of the Asian Americans during Pearl Harbor, and many established families being forced to live in Internment camps.

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