Love at First Bite (1979) [PG]

It's time for a very silly movie! Love at First Bite is a great antidote to the current high school vampire romance craze. George Hamilton's Count Dracula is evicted from his castle in Romania when it is converted into a school for gymnasts. Having nowhere to go, accompanied by Renfield (Arte Johnson), he decides to try the U.S.

And the silliness begins. His luggage (coffin) gets lost at the airport ending up at a funeral at a black church in Harlem. (Holy Jeffersons, Batman!) He discovers, to his amazement, that the U.S. has blood banks! He falls in love with a model (Susan Saint James), a direct descendant of Mina Harker, Dracula's true love. Her psychiatrist (Richard Benjamin) is pretty sure he is love with her, but not enough to marry her. He is, however, sure that Dracula is a vampire, and it is his duty to hunt him down and kill him, even though he has no idea how. After all, he is the descendant of Van Helsing, although he has changed his name to Rosenberg for professional reasons.

The movie is full of references to the old vampire movies. My favorite: in the old movies when Dracula hears the dogs (wolves?) howl, he smiles and says, "Ah, the children of the night." Our Dracula says: "Children of the night, SHUT UP!" complete with Romanian accent.

There is a scene in a disco where the music has been changed from the original. Instead of "I Love the Nightlife," we get a disco version of "The Man I Love." It's a shame because it does change the feeling of the scene. (See how much movie music affects a scene!) If you look around, you can find the original version.

Like many of the spoof movies, not all the jokes work and it is uneven and dated, but the jokes come fast and furious, and you will find yourself laughing out loud. It is also a great showcase for the pop culture of the '80's. If you've had enough Twilight, True Blood, and all the other vampire hyper-romances, this should cleanse your palate.

DIRECTOR: Stan Dragoti.  CAST: George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, Dick Shawn, Arte Johnson, Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, Barry Gordon, Ronnie Schell, Eric Laneuville.

AWARDS: 3 wins and 4 nominations.

The Door in the Floor (2004) [R]

I'm not sure why I was so taken by this movie. The acting is indeed superb, with Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger as a couple whose marriage is not surviving the deaths of their teen-aged sons. The title refers to the Bridges' character's bestselling children's story: a hole in the floor that children fall through.

This couple is cruel to each other, although Bridges' behavior is more overt and pointed. After losing their sons, they have a daughter (played by an incredible Elle Fanning at age 4!) to replace them, which, of course, she cannot do. Bridges is a charming womanizer, Basinger is depressed. Into this situation comes a young man, the son of a family friend, to be an apprentice to Bridges. He bears a strong resemblance to one of the deceased sons and becomes both the pawn and catalyst of this marriage. Is this deliberate on Bridges' part?

The movie is an adaptation, by the director, of the first part of John Irving's bestseller A Widow for One Year. As a result, this is a moving, multi-layered drama. All four main characters go through their own process alone, even as they share the same space.

The theme: you may not always hurt the one you love, but you sure know how! I was deeply affected by this movie, it made me cry, yet somehow can't really find the words to describe my experience.

A fascinating movie about marriage, love and relationships.

DIRECTOR: Tod Williams.  CAST: Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Jon Foster, Elle Fanning, Bijou Phillips, Mimi Rogers, Robert LuPone, Donna Murphy, Louis Arcella.

AWARDS: 1 win and 4 nominations.

Beauty and the Beast (1946)

This is one of the most beautiful and romantic movies ever. Directed by Jean Cocteau in black and white, in French, is so worth seeing. It is so romantic I want to swoon when I see it! It is visually dazzling! It is surreal, with a corridor of disembodied human arms grasping candelabra that burst into flame as Beauty passes by, Beauty's tear drops turning into diamonds as she weeps over the Beast's fate, and flowing material everywhere.

There are some comic scenes, too, preventing the film from being overwhelming. If you can get your kids to watch, they, too, will enjoy the movie. The theme, of course, is that we should not care about others just based on appearances.

This is also a movie about love: the love which grows between Beauty and the Beast, the love between Beauty and her father, and the lack of love that her sisters have for Beauty.

It is truly a masterpiece with something for everyone. It is also the most accessible Cocteau movie, who is better known as a film surrealist. In this movie, he creates a complete fantastic world. It is amazing what he created, especially in view of how limited the technology was at the time.

The next time you are looking for something different, with no shooting or explosions, make this your movie!

DIRECTOR: Jean Cocteau.  CAST: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel Andre.

Babette's Feast (1987) [G]

One of the first great food movies. This is a Danish movie about a French woman who was taken in by two daughters of a now deceased pastor of a small religious community in Denmark. The sect is quiet and repressed, with little emotional passion expressed. Babette is a refugee from violence in Paris. The sisters take her in and she becomes their housekeeper, taking good care of them and the other aging members of the community for 14 years. Her only remaining tie to Paris is a lottery ticket that a friend renews for her each year.

One day Babette wins that lottery and decides to spend the money on creating an epicurean feast for the people who saved her. The movie has the most beautiful scenes of food preparation! She pours her love into the meal which is indeed sumptuous.

The movie is more than just meal preparation. We also get to see the past lives of the sisters, including their opportunities for love. The sisters are sure that the meal will be too sensual for their religious sensibilities, and with the other members of the community, agree to accept the meal, but not to enjoy it! Are they in for a surprise!

This is a lovely and gentle movie about love in many of its forms. Food is the metaphor. Don't watch this while you are hungry!

The movie is based on a story by Karen Blixen, who also wrote the story that Out of Africa was based on. It was also the first Danish film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.


DIRECTOR: Gabriel Axel.  CAST:  Stephane Audran, Jean-Phillipe Lafont, Gudmar Wivesson, Jarl Kulle, Bibi Andersson, Birgitte Federspiel, Bodil Kjer.

AWARDS:  Academy Award and another 10 wins and 6 nominations

 

Zoolander (2001) [PG-13]

This movie is funnier than it has the right to be! If you have had any dealings with the modeling business, you will find it even funnier. A real family affair (his father, mother, sister, and wife are all in the movie), this is Ben Stiller as a really dumb fashion model who the bad guys brainwash into assassinating the Prime Minister of Malaysia! He also co-wrote and directed the movie.

Derek Zoolander is a male model with a series of special modeling faces (the joke is that although they have different names: "Blue Steel", "Le Tigre" and "Ferrari", they are all the same expression which is basically him staring into the camera as he sucks in his cheeks). Recently unseated as top model by Hansel (Owen Wilson), he is working on a new face, "Magnum." He is also very disturbed that no male model seems to live beyond the age of 30.

Will Ferrell is Mugatu, the villain. He dresses in bizarre outfits, with his ugly little dog wearing a doggy version of the same clothes. He is the owner of a fashion line, "Derelicte," described by Mugatu as "a fashion, a way of life inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique."

I laughed hard throughout the movie, except for a strange orgy scene with Zoolander, Matilda (Christine Taylor, Stiller's wife), and Hansel. It's the only jarring note and is responsible for the PG-13 rating.

There are tons of celebrity cameos, so keep your eyes open for Cuba Gooding Jr., Winona Ryder, David Bowie, Donald Trump, Christian Slater, Natalie Portman, and many high fashion names.

There are some real standout moments: the walk-off between Zoolander and Hansel, the boys at the gas station having so much fun "washing" the car, Zoolander's inability to turn left, those funny faces of his, and those dog outfits. Yes, this is stupid funny, but it is funny!!!

DIRECTOR: Ben Stiller  CAST: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell, Milla Jovovich, Jerry Stiller, David Duchovny, Jon Voight, Judah Friedlander.

AWARDS: 1 win and 9 nominations.

The Other (1972) [PG]

Back when The Exorcist was on the best-seller list, there was another book on the list that also had a sense of the supernatural to it: The Other by Thomas Tryon. A little overshadowed by The Exorcist, The Other did quite well and it, too, was turned into a movie.

This is an eerie psychological thriller about two twin boys, Niles and Holland. Niles is the good one and Holland the bad one who is always up to trouble. Their father has died recently, their mother is a recluse in mourning, and their grandmother (played by Uta Hagen) who lives with them is the one who gives them the most attention. Niles seems to be her particular favorite and she has taught him to project himself outside of himself, such as becoming the bird he sees. She calls this "the great game."

Bad things start to happen. There are deaths, accidents, and disappearances. The boys seem to be involved, but how?

The author, Tryon, also wrote the screenplay, changing the ending. Whereas the book is a good read, the different ending in the movie makes it all more ironic.

I don't recommend this if you have any 11-year-old boys at home. Everyone else should enjoy the little shivers they get from this movie. This is a thriller, not a gory chop 'em up, but more like The Sixth Sense. And check out the book!

DIRECTOR: Robert Mulligan.  CAST: Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, Chris Udvarnoky, Martin Udvarnoky, Norma Connolly, Victor French, Portia Nelson, John Ritter.

AWARDS:  1 win.

Windwalker (1980) [PG]

Not your typical western nor a cowboys and Indians movie. Instead, this is a lovely and often funny Native American story, great for family viewing. The PG rating is due to violence, so it is probably not good for the very young.

Windwalker, an old Cheyenne man, decides it is a good day to die as his tribe prepares to leave for winter camp. His family stays behind to prepare him for death, while Windwalker starts to tell them the story of his past. He recounts falling in love and earning his bride.

The family places him on the high scaffold which is the Cheyenne custom for burial. Believing he has died, they continue on to winter camp.

After a while, Windwalker is surprised to wake up and find himself still alive. He begins his trek to join his family, making narrow escapes from the dangers of the wilderness. He continues to remember his past, and the story of his wife and sons.

During this time, his family has been ambushed and his son injured by a band of Crow, enemies of the Cheyenne. They find some shelter and try to figure out what to do next.

There is a very happy ending to the story. Windwalker's past is resolved with his family's help. There are surprises, both funny and heartwarming.

There are some really special things about this movie. First, there are no white men. This is not a story of the destruction of the Native Americans, but rather a story where all the characters are Cheyenne or Crow. The only English we hear is the narration and Windwalker's thoughts. All other speaking is in tribal languages (with titles).

The one glaring problem is that in a movie that really attempts to be a faithful depiction of Native customs and pay honor to their culture, Windwalker is portrayed by Trevor Howard, who is British! (They had to dub his narration due to his English accent!) The only other white actor is James Remar, who plays Windwalker as a young man. All the other roles are played by Native Americans. Howard is not awful, but you can't help but wonder why they didn't use one of the excellent older Native American actors.

The movie does pay careful attention to details of culture, language, costuming, and age-old traditions. The scenery, which is in Utah, is gloriously beautiful. Windwalker has the distinction of being named the #1 anthropological film of all time in an early 1990s poll of the American Anthropological Association.

DIRECTOR: Kieth Merrill. CAST: Trevor Howard, Nick Ramus, Serene Hedin, Dusty Iron Wing McCrea.

AWARDS: 1 win.