Be-Bes
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Sample: Title; rating (out of 4); principal setting; year of release; international co-producer (if any); cast; description; scriptwriter; director; content warning; running time.
THE BEACHCOMBERS (TV Series)This TV series was hardly the best show ever made in Canada, but with it's flamboyant characters (particularly Clothier), off-beat milieu and location shooting, and strong core performances from Gerussi and Clothier, it managed to be hugely popular and the longest running fiction series ever produced in Canada. Characters who joined the series as kids and teens ended up growing into adults as the viewers watched. In fact, many felt its cancellation was an executive decision rather than a ratings one. In its final season, it was taken from its traditional Sunday night timeslot (where it brought in 2 million viewers) and was bumped around. When the ratings, not surprisingly, dipped, instead of returning it to Sunday, the CBC brass cancelled it. More than a decade later, the TV movie, The New Beachcombers, was made. Created by Marc Strange (also a respected actor) and Lynn Susan Strange. Developed by Philip Keatley. Half-hour episodes originally on the CBC. |
A BEACHCOMBER'S CHRISTMAS
* * 1/2 setting: B.C.
(2004) Dave Thomas, Graham Greene, Jackson Davies,
Cameron Bancroft, Deanna Milligan, Francoise Yip, William MacDonald, Michael
Eklund, Gabriel Hogan, Kendall Cross, Susan Hogan, Dan Joffre, Shaun Johnston.....As
Christmas approaches, the folks of Gibson's Landing get embroiled in various
situations, from Milligan being offered a job that would require moving
away, to an attempt to throw together a charity hockey game...with some
less than honest hockey agents. Light-hearted flick is inoffensive and
good natured, but seems like it thinks we've been living and caring about
these characters for years, counting on our affection for them to interest
us more than the story...when most only appeared in one previous
movie! The loose plot is mainly a collection of various sub-plots that
kind of meander about, being light- hearted without being entirely funny,
serious without being entirely dramatic. Not a movie you can hate -- the
actors are pleasant, and it has some cute bits -- but not quite riveting
either. If your in the spirit of Christmas, and don't expect much, it's
okay. Hockey goalie Manon Rheaume appears, and there are cameos by other
pro hockey players. sc. Chaz Gillis. dir: Anne Wheeler.
BEAR ISLAND *
1/2
(1978) (/U.K.) Donald Sutherland, Vanessa Regrave,
Richard Widmark, Lloyd Bridges, Lawrence Dane, Christopher Lee, Barbara
Parkins, Michael J. Reynolds Nicholas Cortland.....Mysterious goings
on and murder plague an international arctic outpost, seemingly connected
to an old German U-boat base. Good-looking suspenser, with an impressive
cast, too bad it's so slow and the characters never become involving. Sutherland
plays an American, natch. In fact, the sole "Canadian" character gets killed
off early. The end credits promise another MacLean adaptation that never
materialized. sc: David Butler, Don Sharp with additional material by Murray
Smith (from the novel by Alistair MacLean). dir: Don Sharp. 118 min.
A BEAR NAMED WINNIE *
* * 1/2 setting: CDN./other
(2004) (/U.K.) Michael Fassbender, Gil Bellows, Jonathon
Young, Aaron Ashmore, Ted Atherton, David Suchet, Stephen Fry.....Story
of how a WW I Canadian army veterinary corps lieutenant (Fassbender) reluctantly
adopts an orphaned bear cub, he nicknames "Winnie", even bringing her to
England while he and his friends try to slip it under the eye of their
disapproving c.o. An odd inspiration for a movie...taking the real life
historical trivia that A.A. Milne was inspired to write Winnie the Pooh,
in part, by a real life Canadian bear...and turning it into a CBC TV movie!
Fassbender's character is real...but one infers most of the actual scenes
are fabrications. And who its audience is is also questionable. Kids would
enjoy the concept, and the bear's adorable misadventures...yet it's wrapped
up in a slightly darker, grittier, more adult tale of wartime. Yet, surprisingly,
the result is quite strong...regardless of the intended demographics. Superbly
acted all around, with a generally deft handling of the funny and the serious,
the result is a compelling, occasionally touching, well-paced comedy-drama.
The movie was originally aired around Christmas...but might actually be
appropriate as an off-beat, family-aimed Remembrance Day movie, in which
the shooting and fighting is barely depicted, but the war nonetheless omnipresent.
sc: John Goldsmith, John Kent Harrison (story Simon Vaughan). dir: John
Kent Harrison. app. 90 min.
BEAR WALKER
* * 1/2 setting: Ont.
(2001) (/U.S.) Renae Morriseau, Sheila Tousey, Shirley
Cheechoo, Greta Cheechoo, Maximilian Martini (a.k.a. Max Martini), John
Tench, Dennis O'Connor.....Story of a Native Indian woman (Morriseau),
who kills her abusive husband, and how her eccentric sisters try to help
her, and the corrupt cop (Martini) who investigates. Decidedly uneven,
downbeat drama mixes mysticism (a bear walker is an evil spirit that is
blamed for the various goings on), some unsettling drama that is placed
right next to comedic scenes, with performances of varied quality (some
are very good, some are more problematic...though kind of grow on you)
and even a confusing presentation, with the story jumping back and forth
in time. But the movie remains interesting for all that, with some
strong scenes and a raw vitality overall that's undeniable. Though principally
in English, there's an appealing eclecticism as characters slide into Cree
and French as well (with subtitles). Tench, usually cast as bad guys, gets
a change-of-pace role as a more sympathetic cop. a.k.a.
Backroads.
sc./dir: Shirley Cheechoo. - violence, sexual content, casual male nudity.-
83 min.
Bearing the Burden, a book by Elizabeth Wilton about the notorious Toronto baby derby, was part of the source for the TV movie The Stork Derby.
BEASTS OF THE BIBLE * * *
(2010) Narrator: Maurice Dean Wint.....Documentary looking at various monsters and beasts referenced in the Bible -- from the serpent in Eden to the whale that swallowed Jonah to the cherubim and others -- and examining whether they had origins in fact, pre-history, or simply allegory. Entertaining docu-flick, enlivened with computer graphic dramatizations and Wint's dramatic (but slightly tongue-in-cheek) narration, is a mishmash of various fields, from legitimate zoology and cryptozoology, to Bible analysis, with intriguing interpretations based on alternate translations and theories (including an interesting explanation for Jonah being swallowed in the "belly of the whale"), and some good ol' outlandish paranormal theories. Resulting in a mix of genuine education...and some unapologetic cheesiness which the filmmakers' embrace. Though some wild life footage of animals eating each other was not really needed. Simcha Jacobovici was executive producer. sc./dir: Graeme Bell. - violence.- app. 90 min.
BEAUTIFUL DREAMERS
* * * setting: Ont.
(1990) Colm Feore, Rip Torn, Wendel Meldrum, Sheila
McCarthy, Colin Fox, David Gardner, Tom McCamus, Marsha Moreau, Angelo
Rizacos, Albert Schultz.....In 1880, radical American poet Walt Whitman
(Torn, who's tackled the role before) befriends earnest, Canadian psychiatrist
Richard Bucke (Feore) and helps him put his sensitive therapy ideas into
practice, as well as alienating half the town and re-invigorating the doctor's
polite marriage (to Meldrum). Good-natured, entertaining drama is well-acted
and slightly sensual (in a wholesome sort of way). Amusing and touching.
Based on a true story. sc./dir: John Kent Harrison. - female nudity and
brief male nudity.- 107 min.
BECAUSE WHY
* * setting: P.Q.
(1993) Michael Riley, Martine Rochon, Doru Bandel,
Heather Mathieson, Tod Fennell, Maggie Castle, Victor Knight.....Odd-ball
drifter (Riley) comes back to Montreal, unsure of what he wants in life
or why, moves into an apartment building and becomes involved in various
relationships. Comedy-drama is amusing and eccentric at times, but gradually
wares away any viewer involvement. It wants determinedly to be an ART film,
which means it's obvious, largely plotless and slow, with opaque characters
and lots of pregnant pauses between lines. Good-looking, well-acted and
not terrible, but uncompelling. sc. Arto Paragamian with Eric Parenteau,
Claude Gagnon. d. Arto Paragamian. - brief female nudity.- 105 min.
BEDROOM EYES
* *
setting: Ont.
(1985) Kenneth Gilman, Dayle Haddon, Barbara Law,
Christine Cattell, Lawrence K. Philips, Jayne Catling, Alf Humphreys, Angus
MacInnes, Nick Nichols.....Peeping Tom (Gilman) becomes fascinated
with a menage-a-trois, then witnesses a murder and finds himself the chief
suspect with only his psychiatrist (Haddon) to whom he can turn. A decent
performance from Gilman gives a boost to this otherwise middling humourous
erotic thriller. sc: Michael Alan Eddy. dir: William Fruet. - partial female
nudity, sexual content, violence.- 94 min.
Beethoven Lives Upstairs *
* setting: other
(1992) Neil Munro, Illya Woloshyn, Fiona Reid, Paul
Soles, Albert Schultz, Sheila McCarthy.....In the early 1800s, a young
boy (Woloshyn) at first resents, then befriends, his family's border, the
eccentric composer, Ludwig van Beethoven (Munro). Hour long family drama
starts out pretty bad but gets better, thanks mainly to Munro's performance
and the musical score. Though as an introduction to Beethoven, the man
(and his work), it doesn't offer a lot. sc: Heather Conkie (based on the
original work by Barbara Nichol). dir: David Devine.
BEFRIEND AND BETRAY * * 1/2 setting: Ont.
(2011) Tim Rozon, Byron Mann, Tom Jackson, Klea Scott, Christine Horne, Steph Song, Terry Chen, Aaron Poole.....Story of an ex-con (Rozon) who is recruited by the authorities to go undercover and infiltrate a crime mob, thanks to his past -- and passing -- association with one of the crooks (Mann). Made-for-TV crime-drama is an energetic, briskly-paced effort, with a solid cast all around -- always nice to see Jackson on screen, and with some particularly stand out turns from Mann as a loose cannon and Chen as his immediate boss. But it can feel glib and superficial (despite trying for some deeper emotional aspects). The scenes and the tempo can hold your attention, even as it can be confusing, and the whole can maybe seem like it's trying too hard (or, being made for TV, like they're trying too hard to make sure you don't start flipping during the commercial breaks). The fact that, though a stand alone movie, it was also a hoped-for series pilot, may have also affected their approach to the narrative. Still, enjoyable enough. Though made for Showcase, there's no attempt to make this any grittier or edgier than any network TV movie (and probably just as well). Loosely inspired by the real life Alex Caine. sc: Michael Amo (based on the book by Alex Caine and Daniel Sanger). dir: Ken Girotti. 88 min.
BEHEMOTH
* * 1/2 setting: USA.
(2010) (/U.S.) Ed Quinn, Pascale Hutton, William B. Davis, Cindy Busby, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Ty Olsson, Garry Chalk, James Kirk....Seismic disturbances in a small American mountain town (and similar events globally) seem to portend a looming volcanic eruption -- but locals discover the cause is far less prosaic...a huge subterranean creature (no -- really huge)! Mix of disaster movie and creature feature lags in the middle and it's kind of awkward that the creature idea isn't revealed until well into it, as if intended as a surprise twist...when the movie is called "Behemoth". But, surprisingly, it's a notch or two above the usual Sy-Fy Channel Canadian-made movies (of which there's a whole sub-industry) thanks to some quirky dialogue that tries to give the characters, well, character, and with a likeable enough cast (including some nice scenes between Davis as bi-polar retiree and Kennedy as a young pretty waitress). Plus, decently budgeted...for a TV movie (including some nifty creature effects). Oh, don't misunderstand -- it's still a ridiculous, cheesy B-movie...but on that level, as a Saturday afternoon time-killer, it's better than many. Though some of the female parts tend to involve a lot of screaming, damsel-in-distress moments -- surprising given it's a woman screenwriter. sc: Rachelle S. Howie. dir: W.D. Hogan. - violence.- 86 min.
BEHIND THE BLUE see L'enfant d'eau
BEING AT HOME WITH CLAUDE
* * setting: P.Q.
(1992) Roy Dupuis, Jacques Godin, Jean-Francois Pichette,
Gaston Lepage.....Cynical cop (Godin) interrogates a prostitute (Dupuis)
to find out why he murdered his respected male lover. Unsuccessful drama
is hurt by its glossy, too-slick direction, scenes that are played all
on the same level, and a lack of substance in the first half. The flashbacks
undermine what little tension has been created. Godin and especially Dupuis
try hard, though. In French. sc./dir: Jean Beaudin (from the play by Rene
Daniel Dubois). - sexual content, extreme violence.- 85 min.
BEING ERICA (TV Series)TV series was seen as being a bit like "Quantum Leap", but is equally comparable to Twice in a Lifetime or Fetching Cody. Slick with good performances, but the overall results were...mixed. A fantasy series with aspirations to be Slice-of-Life, a "comedy/drama" where the comedy isn't that comedic and the "dramatic" events Erica wished to change were often trivial, the life lessons learned (and frequently spelled out in the voiceover narration) usually pretty obvious, and the execution/rules seemed inconsistent, as if each writer had a different take on how it worked (sometimes she wouldn't change things, sometimes she would, sometimes the past event visited...had little real relevance to/impact on her contemporary dilemma) and often the plots offered little in the way of narrative intrigue or surprises. And, frankly, the character and -- by extension -- the series could seem awfully narcissistic, "Erica" a little too obsessed with her own needs and crises in a TV landscape usually populated by more altruistic protagonists (in an episode where a character comes to her from the future, and tells her he couldn't find her in the aftermath of a mysterious disaster that killed many, her initial horrified reaction is "what happened to me?!?") Still, a decently "off beat" idea, certainly for a Canadian series (and for one that actually admitted it was set in Canada), and those who liked it seemed to like it a lot. Critics were supportive though ratings have been generally middling. Created by Jana Sinyor. Four seasons of hour long episodes. |
BEING HUMAN (TV Series)(2011-2014) (/U.S.) * * * 1/2 Sam Witwer ("Aidan"), Meaghan Rath ("Sally Malik"), Sam Huntington ("Josh"), Kristen Hager ("Nora"), with Mark Pellegrino ("Bishop"), Dichen Lachman ("Suren"), Kyle Schmid ("Henry"), Connor Price ("Kenny"), Susanna Fournier ("Zoe"), Amy Aquino ("Donna"), Sarah Allen, Xander Berkeley, Deanna Russo, many others.....Supernatural/horror-drama about three twentysomething housemates in Boston, Massachusetts who share an unusual characteristic -- they're all supernatural beings. Witwer is a vampire, Huntington a reluctant werewolf, and Rath is a ghost that only they (or other supernaturally sensitive people) can see. All of them trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life -- the werewolf is conscientiously trying to find a cure for his affliction, while the vampire has tried to curb his need for blood...but still finds himself being drawn back into the machinations of his vampire clan. Hager plays "Josh"'s girl friend -- who also becomes afflicted with werewolfism. The series was comprised of various multi-episode arcs, meaning there were various supporting characters who would be regulars for a number of episodes, then be written out (or might recur again later), so Pellegrino, Dichmen, Schmid, etc. were signifcant characters but only for limited runs. Witwer and Huntington are American, Rath and Hager Canadian. The various supporting characters were a mix of Canadian and imported actors. Trivia note: Schmid had played a vampire in the TV series Blood Ties -- also called Henry! And though Hager hadn't played a werewolf before, she had tackled vampires in the webseries Valmont.
This is based on the identically titled British series, and the early episodes did aparently just mirror the U.K. version, but as it progressed it took the premise and characters in its own direction. This is a quirky addition, and perhaps culmination, of the horror/fantasy trend that has been burbling along on TV since the days of "The X-Files" or at least "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." In the sense that previous fantasy series had already begun playing around with a "human drama" undercurrent (Buffy, or "Charmed", for example) even if it was usually seen as secondary to the horror-adventure plot. But in Being Human, though there is still plenty of horror, thriller and suspense aspects, the tone can equally be that of a drama (or, given the quirky scenes and witty interplay, comedy-drama) that then veers into traditional horror and suspense areas. (Often the humour is how jaded and blasé the characters become when dealing with the bizarre and supernatural). And it works quite well, with enough of those latter aspects to keep things edgy, with creepiness and suspense and adventure, but with the characters and their dilemmas intriguing and emotionally involving enough that you don't really miss them in the other scenes. Of course, the "human drama" aspect is still intrinsically tied into the fantasy and supernatural themes, it's just not all scenes are about battling monsters or the like. Slickly put together, with a thoughtful maturity and a good, engaging cast (with Rath arguably the most appealing). Granted, it perhaps isn't saying or doing anything with its traditional archetypes that hasn't been done before in TV series, movies and novels (the werewolf who locks himself up to keep from prowling; the notion of an involved, hierarchical vampire sub-culture) -- it's the tone, more than the actual concepts or themes, that give the series its identity. Speaking of identity: some TV series are American series, filmed in Canada, and some are Canada-U.S. co-productions, and in the case of Being Human, it's co-produced by Canada's Muse Entertainment, and even the opening credits refer to the premise being "developed for North American television" (as opposed to simply "U.S. television") -- yet often in the Canadian press, and even on the website for its Canadian broadcaster, it was identified as the "U.S." version of a "U.K." series, as if they felt it might delegitimize the series if they admitted Canadian involvement! Sheesh! Four seasons of hour long episodes, shown in Canada on Space.
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BELIEVE
* * 1/2 setting: USA.
(1999) Jan Rubes, Ricky Mabe, Elisha Cuthbert, Ben
Gazzara, Andrea Martin, Stephanie Morgenstern, Charles Powell, Christopher
Heyerdahl, Jayne Heitmeyer, Chip Chuipka.....After being expelled from
boarding school, an American teen (Mabe) is sent to stay with his estranged
grandfather (Rubes) until his parents can make other arrangements; while
there he and the girl next door (Cuthbert) investigate a ghostly apparition.
Good looking, O.K. family film, though it's maybe not (quite) spooky enough
to be scary, but not quite sprightly or humourous enough to be a Disney-esque
romp. The movie actually seems like two films, with an extended middle
sequence where the heroes stage a fake haunting to get back at some
bullies (presumably 'cause the main ghost story didn't have enough to it
to make a movie). Moderately fun. Other than the three leads, most of the
cast have just small parts. Co-scripter LaFortune is better known as an
actor. sc: Richard Goudreau, Roc LaFortune (story Robert Tinnell). dir:
Robert Tinnell. 96 min.
BELLEVILLE RENDEZ-VOUS
* * * setting: other
(2003) (/France/Belgium).....Animated fable about
a plucky grandmother whose devotion to her grandson leads her to helping
him become a cross-country bike racer and, when he's kidnapped by nefarious
goons, sets out (with his dog in tow) to find him. Comedy boasts impressive
and captivating sets and character designs, flawless movements, and an
intriguing, truly bizarre imagination. You hardly need an English-translation,
as there's very little dialogue spoken -- it's mainly pantomime. Has a
surreal opening sequence that might put one in mind of U.S. counter-culture
animator Ralph Bakshi...but don't let that put you off. It's funny
and kind of sweet and endearing, particularly as the unflappable grandmother
and dog are true characters...but it's also weird and, frankly, a little
nightmarish and grotesque, making it maybe not suitable for littler kids.
Received the Best Picture Genie. English title: The Triplets of Belleville.
sc./dir: Sylvain Chomet. - brief female nudity.- 78 min.
BELLS
* * 1/2
(1981) Richard Chamberlain, John Houseman, Sara Botsford, Robin Gammell, Gary Reineke, Barry Morse, Alan Scarfe.....An ecology professor (American Chamberlain) has trouble getting anyone to believe him when he suspects a series of grisly deaths is caused by lethal electrical impulses...over the telephone lines. Thriller has a bit of a split personality: on one hand, it can be seen as a horror/thriller arising from its era of "slasher" flicks (with a crazed killer using, not a knife and a hockey mask, but literally phoning his victims to death) yet equally wants to be part of the post-Watergate conspiracy genre with the little guy battling corporate and political cover ups. It's that latter part that gives the film some spark (even if the phone company might seem like an odd target) and some character nuance (with Chamberlain as an ex-radical who has kind of retreated from the fight, and Houseman as his mentor who advocates working within the system). The result isn't a great film, suffering from some cheesiness and clunky scenes...yet, conversely, is a notch or two above a lot of its era of "Hollywood North" programmers and gets better as it goes. There are some decent concepts (you can't hear a phone ring after watching this and not flinch!), some moderately suspenseful scenes, and Chamberlain brings his usual earnest credibility to the part. Botsford is effective as the romantic interest, and these movies can be fun for spotting the many familiar Canadian actors in bit parts, including The Royal Canadian Air Farce's Luba Goy as a receptionist! Nothing to plan your evening around...but maybe worth a look while channel surfing. Though that "split personality" applies equally to location: it not really clear where it's set, with sometimes a Canadian flag in the background, but American currency. Co-scripter Harrison is better known for historical and family dramas! The American prints run only about 79 minutes under the title Murder by Phone. sc: Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack, John Kent Harrison. dir: Michael Anderson. - violence; sexual content.- 94 min.
BELLEVUE (TV Limited Series)Brooding serialized television crime-dramas are all the rage these days, from Scandinavia ("Nordic Noir"), the U.K., the U.S., and Canada, too (shortly before this CTV aired Cardinal). But not only does Bellevue comfortably take its place among them...arguably it muscles its way to the upper tiers. Despite the increasingly overworked field (dark, brooding crime dramas set in small towns) it has the advantage that by NOT being about a serial killer, the investigation can unfold like a true whodunit? mystery, the characters sifting through clues and pondering motives; plus the plot manages to throw in some off-beat and intriguing threads that make it more than just a recycling of other entries in the genre (the possible connection to a previous unsolved murder; "Annie"'s mysterious Riddler; etc.). Plus it feels nicely rooted in its time and place -- the victim being transgender makes the story contemporary, playing with themes of gender identity, bullying, etc. without seeming self-conscious or gimmicky -- as well there's a nonchalant Canadianness. Plus, above all, it's just well done, with a complex saga that holds your attention, a nice mix of domestic drama (and humour), with detective story, and at times a genuinely creepy-spooky vibe (despite not being supernatural) all served by good performances, with Paquin nicely efective as the difficult-but-sympathetic heroine (Paquin a Canadian-born, New Zealand-raised, Hollywood actress who may-or-may-not personally think of herself as Canadian, but which means a series like this can boast having a Camnadian lead). Eight hour-long episodes. - partial nudity; violence.- |
BEN HUR (TVMS)
* * * setting: other
(2010) (/U.K./Spain) Joseph Morgan, Stephen Campbell Moore, Emily VanCamp, Kristin Kreuk, Simon Andreu, Hugh Bonneville, Lucia Jimenez, Ray Winstone, Ben Cross, Kris Holden-Ried.....At the time of Christ -- and the Roman occupation of Israel -- a Jewish businessman (Morgan) is wrongly implicated in a crime, loses his family, his wealth, and is sentenced to slavery, but through circumstances gradually reclaims power and position...driven by a burning desire for revenge on the childhood friend, and Roman centurion (Moore), he partly blames for his ordeal. Classic novel has been filmed before (most notably the 1959 Hollywood version with Charlton Heston), and this mini-series (aired on the CBC) stands up as a lavishly mounted, well put together version, with solid performances from all. Doesn't maybe have any particular novel spins on the familiar material, which mixes pulp fiction twists and lurid melodrama with a touch of piety -- basically The Count of Monte Cristo meets a Biblical fable. The original novel was marketed as "a tale of the Christ" and the movie walks the line of acknowledging the religious themes, but not in a way liable to distract a secular audience (indeed, one suspects the filmmakers themselves weren't overly interested in the religious undercurrents). Indeed, an occasional raciness (including nudity in its uncut version, though not shown on the CBC broadcast) might seem likely to offend the more overtly religious viewers. Primarily a British production, with the only Canadians in the cast being VanCamp, Kreuk, and Holden-Ried (as another centurion) -- with VanCamp having the biggest role as romantic interest Esther. An enjoyable, old fashioned costumed epic. 4 hours. Sharp (from the novel by Lew Wallace). dir: Steve Shill. - violence, sexual content, partial female nudity.-
Benny Cooperman movies: Novelist Howard Engel's slighty nebbishy private eye was featured in two excellent CBC TV movies starring Saul Rubinek. Too bad there weren't more. They were: The Suicide Murders and Murder Sees the Light.
BEOWULF & GRENDEL *
* setting: other
(2006) (/U.K./Iceland) Gerard Butler, Stellan Skarsgard, Ingvar Sigurdsson,
Sarah Polley, Eddie Marsan.....Re-telling of the classic 11th Century poem
about a village plagued by a monster and the warrior, Beowulf (Butler), and
his men who come to help. Beautiful Icelandic scenery, and decent
performances, this was marketed as a "revisionist" telling...unfortunately,
revisionist here seems to mean it's a story about warriors battling a
monster...that has little action and fewer scares, with flat direction and
dialogue that veers inconsistently between archaic and modern (including lots
of modern profanity). The "liberal" spin, in which the monster, Grendel, had
been wronged by the villagers first, still doesn't really pad out the thin
plot (particularly as we learn this in the opening scene!). Another loose
variation on Beowulf was the Hollywood film, "The 13th Warrior". sc: Andrew
Rai Berzins (from the ancient poem). dir: Sturla Gunnarsson. 104 min. -
extreme violence; sexual content.- 105 min.
BERLIN LADY (TVMS) *
* setting: other
(1990) (/France) Robin Renucci, Giulia Boschi, Carl
Marotte, Alain Doutey, Monica Randall, Lloyd Bochner, Robert Atzorn, Myriam
Cyr.....In Europe in the early '30s, a freewheeling, wannabe French
photographer (Renucci) -- not above a little (friendly) blackmail or playing
a gigolo --, infatuated with his beautiful cousin (Boschi), a German movie
star, inadvertently finds they're both in trouble with the rising Nazi
party over a picture he took -- a picture with a clue to a conspiracy.
Comedy-drama/suspenser suffers from an obnoxious hero and the weaknesses
of a lot of co-productions: awkward dubbing (even though the actors seem
to be speaking English); too-broad, even hysterical, performances; poor
dialogue; obvious music. The meandering story has the elements of a good
idea (the unrequited love, the gradual uncovering of a conspiracy) but
handles them poorly. This may not have aired in Canada until 1998. 4 hours.
sc: Simon Michael, Dan Franck, Jean Vautrin, and Donald Martin (from the
novel La Dame de Berlin by Franck and Vautrin). dir: Pierre Boutron.
THE BEST OF SCTV *
* * 1/2 setting: USA.
(1988) (/U.S.) John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy,
Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Dave Thomas.....Compilation
of sketches from the hit satirical TV series, loosely strung together by
a plot involving a license renewal hearing for the SCTV
network. Everyone will have sketches they feel should have been included
but it's generally hilarious and a good retrospective. A shorter version,
with more Canadian sketches, was made for the CBC and called SCTV on
Trial" (but rates about the same). sc: the cast (and many others).
dir: John Blanchard (and others). app. 100 min.
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(2007, 2009) (/U.S.) * * 1/2 Charity Shea ("Samantha 'Sam" Best"), Brandon Jay McLaren ("Devin Sylver"), Jennifer Miller ("Kathryn Klafer"), Athena Karkanis ("Dawn Vargaz"), Niall Matter ("Trent Hamilton"), Randal Edwards ("Noah Jensen"), with Sherry Miller, Alan Van Sprang, Yanna McIntosh, Ron Lea, Siu Ta, etc ......Drama-cum-soap about life at an Ivy League Boston University, focusing on a freshman (American Shea), a wrong side of the tracks orphan trying to negotiate her way threw the blue blood snobbery of (some) of the students, as well as romantic complications, and learning the secrets of her own family history. McLaren plays her boy friend, the school's basketball star; Miller her snobby and catty room mate; Karkanis her best friend, a former TV teen star; Matter the bar tender at the local, whom "Sam" was also attracted too; Edwards a good natured Canadian student. Miller plays a wealthy University patron who took Sam under her wing for her own not-so-mysterious reasons; McIntosh the University Dean; Van Sprang, the owner of the bar where Sam worked and her friends hung out; etc. The relationships are hard to categorize as they tend to be in constant flux, as the friendships, and romantic entanglements, wax and wane and the characters can be cast in new light (Miller goes from heroine's friend, to enemy, to something in-between). Initially some press was written about the contrast in
Canadian and American reviews -- Canadian reviewers were largely unimpressed,
American reviewers were more favourable. But the contrast may have said
as much about marketing/expectations in the different countries. In Canada
the series was aired at 10:00 pm, and creator Aaron Martin likened it to
the well remembered U.S. series "Felicity", fuelling expectations of a
"grown up" show...while in the U.S. it airs on a cable station aimed at
teens. Martin had previously worked on the teen series, Degrassi:
The Next Generation, and the series ultimately seems more aimed at
teens and pre-teens in style and writing, although "sexed" up to make it
adult-friendly. Taken that way, it's not terrible, but not really great
either. It's unabashedly pulpy entertainment and briskly paced (maybe a
little too much so, as plot threads -- many that do seem lifted shamelessly
from "Felicity" -- are whipped through that might better have been slowly
developed) and the actors are pleasant enough. Shea is reasonably personable,
if non-descript, though, arguably, Karkanis has more charisma (and some
of her scenes with Van Sprang, as an avuncular old friend, are some of
the series' most emotionally effective). But the characters themselves
aren't that interesting, nor do we really empathize with them a lot of
them time. And the series' emphasis on boozing and partying can make the
characters seem a bit vapid, and is awkward given that most of the characters
are actually supposed to be under-age!
The series had a rather tumultuous behind-the-scenes process. Partly due to the co-production nature of different networks in different countries, there was a lot of mixed signals at the end of the first season: it was cancelled, no!, it was renewed, no!, it's been cancelled. Eventually it did return...after a long hiatus, with some changes in the supporting cast, and, in Canada, moving to a cable channel rather than a network. Another sub-text to the series is one of classism and elite snobbery, as the heroine butts heads with Old Money students...yet, ironically, the heroine has a wealthy patron who bails her out of trouble that would get other students expelled, McLaren plays the star jock able to flaunt the rules with impunity, her best friend is the TV star who can get them the best tables at night clubs and who is handed the lead role in the school play, despite a poor reading -- far from a criticism, the series seems an ode to the value of privilege! (Interestingly, the series shies away from any racism issues, yet, given the snobbish, class conscious environment, is it likely the black jock's relationships with white women would go unremarked upon?). Created by Aaron Martin. Hour long episodes, the first season shown on CanWest-Global, the second on E!. |
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