THE DUKES OF HAZZARD

Action comedy

BACKGROUND
Wildly popular during its six-season run on CBS, The Dukes of Hazzard TV series premiered in January 1979 and focused on the ongoing adventures of Bo and Luke Duke, two cousins living in Hazzard County somewhere in the Deep South.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Johnny Knoxville: Luke Duke
Seann William Scott: his cousin Bo
Jessica Simpson: their cousin Daisy
Willie Nelson: Uncle Jesse
Burt Reynolds: Commissioner “Boss” Hogg

REVIEW
The movie will have great appeal to any male teenager:
 perhaps 70% of the movie involves fast cars (police pursuits, airborne leaps, racing, demolition derby)
 with interludes of young female bodies (many in their underwear, sometimes in body-hugging short shorts, all with ample cleavage)
 several seduction scenes by Daisy (although her acting is terrible, she seems to have a knack for this kind of thing)
 and the jokes: corny one-liners, off-colour crude jokes and at least three hilarious knee-slapping “in the crotch” blows.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

CLASSIFICATION
for sexual content, crude and drug-related humor, language and comic action violence.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
After getting a phone call from Boss Hogg, the Deputy hangs up and we hear a dial tone. A dial tone is there only when initiating a call, not when terminating one.

When another Deputy hears his name being called on his walkie-talkie, the first thing he says is “10-4”. There are over two hundred 10-Codes in current usage, approximately 50 of these are used by the police, fire and other types of radio operators. Code 10-4 means “message received” and is said in response to the sender’s directives not to acknowledge an incoming call.

During one of the police pursuits, Luke uses both hands to get halfway out the window. The point-of-view changes and somehow he now has a bow and arrow in his hands. After shooting off one flaming arrow, he then ducks back in the car and from the interior shot we see that the bow has somehow disappeared.

Although their car sustains damage from ramming and banging other cars, often when the camera angle changes the damage is no longer evident, only to return in a later shot.

P.S.
If you’ve made it to the end, stick around for the outtakes while the credits roll. At least you’ll get a real laugh from some of them.

BTW, I agree with holllywood tuna that "there should be some sort of law in Hollywood that she can only be allowed to wear bikinis in her movie roles. Face it. We’re not interested in the acting abilities of" Jessica Simpson

WHISKY

Drama
In Spanish with English subtitles

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Mirella Pascual: Marta Acuña, an exemplary employee of a small, old, dilapidated sock factory located somewhere in Uruguay
Andres Pazos: Jacobo Köller, the factory owner
Jorge Bolani: his more energetic brother Herman, owner of a much more successful sock factory in Brazil

REVIEW
Unlike so many movies with lots of dialogue and bustling action, this one is quite the opposite. The writers have chosen to let the images tell the story, relying on very little dialog to “fill in the blanks”. Excellent performances from all three principals, all of whom are so true to life, reminding us of people we have seen or met. With it’s measured slow pace, the movie is probably best seen with your feet up and a big bag of popcorn at your side.

CLASSIFICATION


P.S.
The film was Uruguay's entry to the Academy Award competition for Best Foreign-Language Film. It did not get nominated, which is no surprise to many, as it seems the Academy has a long-standing aversion to Latin American cinema.

THE EDUKATORS

Crime
Original title Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei
In German with English subtitles

BACKGROUND
Though unconnected to its American counterpart that had the same name (Students for a Democratic Society), the German SDS shared a similar place in German society. It was the leading left-wing student organization throughout the sixties.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Daniel Brühl: Jan, an anti-globalisation activist
Stipe Erceg: his roommate and pal, Peter
Julia Jentsch: his girlfriend Jule, a server in a upscale Berlin restaurant
Burghart Klaußner: "Hardi" Hardenberg, an affluent businessman

REVIEW
Although it’s a bit too long and sometimes becomes bogged down expounding the principals of idealism, the movie has enough going for it that it’s worthwhile sitting through these things. The acting is first class and the story moves along at a good clip, sometimes taking unexpected turns.

CLASSIFICATION
(but in my opinion hardly deserved) for some profanity, one brief scene of sexuality and drug use.

WATERMARKS

Documentary
In Hebrew and German with English subtitles

BACKGROUND
In 1909, after the Austrian government passed a law known as "the Aryan Paragraph" which forbade sporting clubs from accepting Jewish members, a group of Jewish athletes responded by forming a sports organisation of their own. Known as "Hakoah Vienna" (from the Hebrew word for strength), the club sought to give Jewish athletes a place to turn to, and to confront stereotypes that Austrian Jews were intellectual giants but physical weaklings. The members of Hakoah Vienna were champions in a number of sports in Austria and Europe, but their most famous athletes were the members of the women's swimming team, who soon came to dominate competition throughout the nation. Hakoah Vienna's female swimmers were the core of Austria's 1936 Olympic Team, held in Germany, though some had serious reservations even participating in what was seen by many as a propaganda triumph for Adolf Hitler.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Ann Marie, one of the former champion swimmers of Hakoah Vienna
Judith, eldest surviving member of the group
Hanni, her sister
along with Greta, Elishvea, Anni, Trude and Hanne

REVIEW
More of an insightful documentary than one presenting something entirely new and different, it will appeal mostly to students of history. Seeing how these women coped with the difficult situation in their native country is but one more stinging condemnation of the Nazi era.

CLASSIFICATION

WEDDING CRASHERS

Comedy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Vince Vaughn: Jeremy, a Washington divorce-mediator
Owen Wilson: John, his partner
Christopher Walken: Treasury Secretary William Cleary
Jane Seymour: his wife
Rachel McAdams: Claire, one of the bride's sister
Isla Fisher: the bride’s other sister Gloria

REVIEW
This movie has to be every young man’s dream come true: lots of beautiful half-undressed women ready for a one-night stand who like raunchy humour and aren’t offended by filthy language. And if that’s not enough, what if one of the beautiful girls is very much a nymphomaniac and does the "Mrs. Robinson move" on one of the boys? It doesn’t get any better than that.

So if you are a single, male, 18 to 25, then this movie will probably rate 5 stars; for the rest of us, it is something less than that.

CLASSIFICATION
for sexual content, partial frontal nudity, sexual situations (including one episode of under-the-table “tickling”) and profanity.

MURDERBALL

Documentary

BACKGROUND
Generally rugby is seen as a dangerous game. Thus, many assumed that the game could not be adapted for those confined to wheelchairs. This has proven to be a misconception.

Quad rugby is a sport with roots going back to wheelchair basketball: the quadriplegic equivalent to the old-fashioned game of basketball. Wheelchair rugby was originally called murderball due to the aggressive nature of the game. Some continue to use this now "politically incorrect" description.

It was introduced in the United States in 1981 by Brad Mikkelsen, who, with the aid of the Disabled Student Services at the University of North Dakota, formed the first team, the Wallbangers, and changed the game's name to quad rugby. Since then, it continues to be a growing sport amongst young disabled athletes who have strong upper body strength. It has become so popular it is now a paralympic event. Team USA has dominated the sport for years.

Some Quad Rugby rules:
 Played on a regular sized basketball court by four players from each team.
 During the games, team players pass a volleyball back and forth.
 The team must pass the ball into the opponent's half-court within 15 seconds.
 A player with the ball must pass it within 10 seconds.

The game is played by quadriplegics. These are people who are not paralyzed, per se, but have impairment in some or all four limbs. Most players have broken necks and the higher in the spine the injury occurred, the less mobility the person will have. The guys with the most handle the ball while the guys with the least are defensive tackles. The game is tough, like bumper cars on steroids, and wheelchairs and their occupants are upended frequently and violently.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Joe Soares, Head Coach, Canadian National Wheelchair Rugby Team 2001–2004
Robert, his nonathletic son
Mark Zupan, Team USA lead player with a shaved head and a tattoo that reads 'Hit me, I'll hit back'
Christopher Igoe, Mark’s best friend
Bob Lujano, a quadruple amputee who can eat pizza with his elbows
Keith Cavill, a former Motocross competitor still recovering from his spinal injury

REVIEW
The film covers the two principal rivals in the sport, Team Canada and Team USA, for two and a half years including the 2004 PARALYMPIC GAMES in Athens. It's interesting to see how strong is the desire of some to overcome their difficulties without feeling sorry for themselves. An inspirational story, it is informative and entertaining at the same time.

CLASSIFICATION
for language and sexual content

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Fantasy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Freddie Highmore: Charlie Bucket
Helena Carter: Charlie’s mother
Noah Taylor: Charlie’s father
David Kelly: Charlie’s kindly Grandpa Joe
David Morris: Charlie’s grumpy Grandpa George
Philip Wiegratz: Augustus Gloop, a glutton of a kid
AnnaSophia Robb: Violet Beauregarde, highly competitive (highly irritating) child
Jordan Fry: Mike Teavee, an unpleasant kid addicted to playing vicious video games
Julia Winter: Veruca Salt, a spoiled brat
Johnny Depp: weird Willy Wonka, sole owner of the Chocolate Factory

REVIEW
Maybe it got better, but after one hour of watching the childish antics of four unpleasant kids and the puzzling behaviour of the cold, cruel, creepy, uncaring and unsympathetic owner of the factory, I had seen enough of this bizarre movie and left.

CLASSIFICATION
for quirky situations, action and mild language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
When the “lucky” group of five children and their escorts proceed across the courtyard towards the Chocolate Factory, the sun is casting shadows to their left whereas the shadow caused by the factory is directly in front to them.