cz639 Reviews

Way Down East (1920)

Absorbing film

[13 November 2002]

This is one of my favourite silents. You can really sympathize with Lillian's character -- in fact, some of the themes are still relevant today such as the sexual double standard women face. Squire Bartlett was giving Lillian a hard time because he knew nothing of her family background when she came to him to find employment -- yet, had it been a man, the Squire would respect the man's right to privacy regarding his private life.

Lillian's acting is great. To me the true judgement of a silent film's effectiveness is the ability to stir up emotions in viewers just by watching the actor's face and body movements. Lillian achieves this beautifully. I think if this were a talkie the effect would have been less.

Overall, this is a great film but a bit long in some parts. For example, that Perkins woman (with the ringlets) was quite annoying and the film sometimes focused a little too much on her antics. I give it a 9 out of 10.

Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983)

Moralistic but had some funny moments

[5 September 2002]

I used to watch this show all the time when I was young. But now that I'm older, this show kind of grates on my nerves, especially the characters of Charles, Caroline, and Mary Ingalls. Charles was a sexist, tyrranical pig who wanted to control his little family. Mary was a boring know-it-all, goody two-shoes. Caroline was a wimp that hardly had the courage to stand up to Charles when you pushed her around and tried to control her with his sexist attitudes. Laura was okay because compared to Mary she at least had the guts at times to defy her parents.

The only two characters that made this show worthwhile and memorable for me to watch (as well as quite hilarious) were the characters of Harriet and Nellie Olson. Who could forget Nellie yelling at Laura in her bullmoose voice: "You'll pay for this, Laura Ingalls, if it's the last thing I do!" Harriet was such a nosy, jealous snob and always out to get the Ingalls. It was funny to see how a lot of her schemes backfired on her!

Anyway, this show isn't so back if you can get past the moralizing from Charles. It's a good way to while away the hour when there's nothing else good on TV.

My Best Girl (1927)

Very touching and sweet

[10/10 · 10 December 2001]

This along with Stella Maris are my two most favourite Pickford films. I've seen this film about 4 times as issued by Image Entertainment. The Image Entertainment version has a beautiful and uplifting musical score that matches the movie perfectly.

Mary and Buddy are perfect together and theirs is the romance that all of us wish to have at least once in our lifetime. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry.

I also loved the performances of Lucien Littlefield who plays Mary's father, Sunshine Hart who plays her mother and the fiery and exotic Carmelita Geraghty who plays her jazz-loving, hot-tempered flapper sister.

The ending is funny. We see Mary's rag-tag family ready to make the boat on time where she will be married to her sweetheart.

One of the best and funniest silents ever! Also, check out Harold Lloyd's Girl Shy (1924). That's another funny romantic film too.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel

[9/10 · 14 June 2001]

What can I say about a movie that defined my childhood? This is one film that we watched over and over and over again. I've watched it again recently this year after not having seen it for almost fourteen years. Do you know what? It's still as funny today and when I first watched it long ago. I'm still as obsessed about this movie today as I was about it then. I practically got all the lines memorized.

What is amazing about the movie is the star himself, Paul Reubens. As a kid I actually believed there was a person named Pee-wee Herman. When you watch him, you don't see an actor playing the character of Pee-wee, you actually believe he is Pee-wee.

After watching the movie again, I was so surprised to see that Danny Elfman did the score for this film. It's pretty obvious. It's reminiscent of the music for the Simpsons. Danny Elfman's score was amazing! The music so fit the type of character that Pee-wee is. The music is manic and crazy just like Pee-wee.

I was also surprised to see that Tim Burton directed this film and that it was his first directorial debut. I love his use of colours in the film. It made the whole movie seem like a cartoon, a lunatic's version of a sideshow.

One of my favourite scenes is the Mr. Breakfast scene. Here we see that Pee-wee is a demented fellow, possibly with a history of mental illness. He talks to his pancake breakfast (Mr. Breakfast) and he eats Mr. T cereal. I loved his imitation of Mr. T's voice. We see him using oversized cutlery and toothbrushes and he has a scotch tape fetish which he uses to mold his face into bizarre contortions.

Then when he embarks on his Big Adventure, and meets all those crazy people (like Mickey the escaped convict, Simone the waitress, the hobo, the Satan's Helpers), you actually begin to see that he is actually pretty normal compared to them and that is where the humour lies.

This movie had plenty of visual gags and many cool catchphrases by Pee-wee himself. Also, if you were a child in the Eighties, you'll understand all the 80's stuff (like radical, BMX bikes, Mr. T cereal, Twisted Sister).

All in all, it's a great movie and really funny. One of my most favourite comedy films of all time. Get the DVD version as there are many extra treats in it for fans of Pee-wee.

Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–1991)

The Greatest Show Ever! hehehehe

[25 May 2001]

I loved this show growing up (I was ten when it first came out). It was a Saturday morning ritual for me and my two younger sisters to get up before the show started, get a bowl of cereal or whatever and plop down and watch Pee-wee do his thing for half-hour. We would scream the secret word real loud and our mother would give us hell for that because she liked to sleep in on Saturday mornings.

I loved the show because of the character of Pee-wee. He's unlike anyone you've seen on TV (other than Mr. T, who, along with Pee-wee are my childhood 'heros'). He was so bizarre, his friends were weird, and the whole playhouse is how I wished my house could be like. Randy was sassy and bad and Miss Yvonne was the "horniest woman in Puppetland". (My mother thought it was so scandulous that Miss Yvonne showed so much cleavage on a "kid's show").

I recently purchased the two box sets and the Christmas special at age 24 and I have a better appreciation for the show now than I probably did as a kid. Paul Reubens is brilliant! The show is still so funny today that it doesn't even seem it was made in the eighties. I also think Ricardo was one hot honey (and Pee-wee of course!)

I just wish it was back on the air here in Canada.

May long you rule, Pee-wee!