It would take Spike Jonze and only Spike Jonze to be able to grasp the more awe inspiring subtleties of “Her.” It’s an incredible technological tale about love, human connection, and a question of a higher power. Though usually I’m not a big fan of films about higher powers, “Her” doesn’t sermonize so much as postulate the idea of a higher power that was once very devoted to their servants and then evolved over time to where they eventually left them to fend for themselves, altogether.
Tag Archives: Romance
No Holds Barred (1989) [Blu-Ray]
In the eighties, Hulk Hogan was a titan who stood tall in influence and adoration alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the age of the cold car, Hogan is the hero America wanted. He was blond, large, charismatic, heroic, and garnered a handlebar mustache that made him look like a buff trucker fighting for the country. “No Holds Barred” perfectly demonstrates why Hogan was such a force in the sports world, with a charismatic performance in an otherwise goofy movie.
Magic Island (1995)
1995’s “Magic Island” from Moonbeam Entertainment is one of the few Charles Band backed kids films I’ve never actually seen. Which is odd, considering I loved Full Moon as a kid, and Zachary Ty Bryan was on one of my favorite TV show of the nineties “Home Improvement.” Like many of the Moonbeam films, “Magic Island” is not a perfect film by any stretch, but you have to appreciate its ambition, flaws and all. A good mixture of “The Neverending Story” and “The Princess Bride,” Sam Irvin’s adventure film is a goofy kids film with enough innocence to warrant good B grade family fare.
Little Man of Steel (2013)
Weird, I always assumed Lana Lang took Clark Kent’s virginity, but that’s a mere nitpick for “Little Man of Steel.” Director Larry Zeigelman explores the more private side of the greatest superhero in DC. Set during a random night in Metropolis, Clark and Lois enter a local pharmacy after a seemingly hot date and Lois is very anxious to seal the deal with Clark. Clark is very hesitant though, and looks for many ways to stall the inevitable. He even zaps away repeatedly to stop a world crisis as Lois waits by the condom aisle.
Virtual Encounters (1996)
It’s Skinemax time and “Virtual Encounters” is the movie for anyone interested in delightful mediocre mid-nineties porn. As a movie it’s a pretty crummy and boring attempt to add fantasy elements to a genre already built around fantasies. Part of the Surrender Cinema division from Full Moon, “Virtual Encounters” is pseudo-science fiction that basically just features a slew of mildly erotic sex scenes that have no real context to them. They’re just there to get about as much mileage out of the movie before it ends.
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Back in the eighties and nineties, Arnold Schwarzenegger was larger than life. With his large build and thick Austrian accent, his rough exterior was contradicted by his sweet personality. This carries over more than successfully in Ivan Reitman’s “Kindergarten Cop,” one of his many efforts to connect with younger audiences. His transformation in to kids film star is nearly seamless, as he’s able to connect with his primarily younger cast surprisingly well, and garners a strong chemistry with just about everyone in the film.
Musical Chairs (2014)
“Cheer Up. You’re Alive.”
While Susan Seidelman’s musical drama is contrived and formulaic, it gets a free pass mainly for being such a charming romance that at least tries to break its predictability. “Musical Chairs” is the celebration of dance, despite physical disabilities, all the while focusing on a couple that find love through their hardships and their passion for the dance floor. It’s very interesting that “Musical Chairs” really dodges the more conventional aspects of films of this ilk, and also seems to strive for more diversity in characters beyond skin color.