Kinky Boots (2005)

How Far Would You Go to Save the Family Business?

Directed by: Julian Jarrold
Written by: Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
Starring: Joel Edgerton as Charlie Price, Chiwetal Ejiofor as Lola, Sarah Jane Potts as Lauren, and Jemima Rooper as Nicola
Music by: Mainly consists of songs from the film sung by Ejiofor, but also includes music from David Bowie, Nina Simone, James Brown, The Dub Pistols, Jemima Rooper, Lyn Collins, Louis Jarrold, The Visitors, Diefenbach, and Kirsty MacColl

First of all, this movie shines because it's based on a true story. There really is a shoe factory in a small town in England which changed its line from men's shoes to men's shoes for transvestites. And granted this subject alone may be enough to keep the squeamish from watching this film. The movie makes a point of not condemning this lifestyle but prods you to accept people for who they really are - using both Lola and Charlie as examples, along with several smaller characters along the way. For the majority of the film, Ejiofor appears in drag, and if not in full drag, at least some makeup. And there is a large focus on sex appeal through the shoes.

Yet, for all the content issues some people may have with this film, it is amazingly clean. There are absolutely no sex scenes - not even implied. Charlie and his fiancee do not even live together. There is little swearing and practically no violence either. Simply men dancing in suggestive female costumes (which doesn't bother me because they're men). The storyline isn't typical and the end - while being slightly predictable - doesn't fall back on the usual excuses for it's predictability. The plot itself is tightly woven and very strong, and the characters are very well expressed.

My absolute favorite part of this movie is Chiwetal Ejiofor. His role in "Kinky Boots" has solidly placed him in my list of favorite actors. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this part (and lost to Sasha Baren Cohen, which...don't even get me started on how stupid that is). He plays the part of Lola perfectly - as a man who isn't gay but loves dressing up in women's clothing, and a man who likes to challenge common social norms and doesn't enjoy doing what people expect. He sings all his own songs, which in itself could have gotten my respect, but he actually pulls off wearing women's outfits just fine. In fact, the first time you see him out of drag, you almost don't recognize him; which forces you to recognize just how much of him is wrapped up in his identity as Lola.

If you are very uncomfortable with the idea of cross dressing, you probably won't enjoy this movie. However, I do recommend it as a clean film with a good general moral lesson to teach in a fun and entertaining way with superb acting. I'd give this film five pairs of kinky boots out of a possible five (5/5).

With Six You Get Eggroll (1968)

"Keeping this family together isn't child's play!"

Directed by: Howard Morris
Written by: R.S. Allen, Gwen Bagni, Harvey Bullock, and Paul Dubov
Starring: Doris Day as Abby McClure, Brian Keith as Jake Iverson, Pat Carroll as Maxine Scott, Barbara Hershey as Stacy Iverson, Alice Ghostley as Molly the Maid, and George Carlin as Herbie Fleck.
Music by: Robert Mersey

At first glance, this might seem like a less comedic version of "Yours, Mine, and Ours" or even "The Brady Bunch." Each of the adults has less than four kids and so much of the hilarity gained with gobs of children isn't present.

Granted, the two romantic leads find plenty of humorous situations to get themselves into without their offspring's help. Their bending over backwards to try to keep their children happy forces them into compromising positions where their own needs come last. This doesn't seem funny after the third time they sneak off to the drive through for coffee and give each other a knowing look. And the story does seem to drag a little without small persons spiking drinks or getting hit in the face with a football, therefore damaging their social lives. The two youngest McClure kids provide most of the child comedy, but only in a rather loudmouth annoying way - *gasp* a realistic way.

And that's where this movie picks up where the aforementioned films leave off. While the movies this is often compared to focus on the comedic aspect of adjusting to the merging of families, their humor could just as easily happen within a family that isn't blended - such as with "Cheaper by the Dozen." With Eggroll, we focus more on the awkwardness of dating again when you've already got a family, the pressure when a new spouse enters the scene, and the rough waters you have to navigate when it comes to your children adjusting. Day and Keith are just realistic enough to make this movie shine, but not realistic enough to be shocking to viewers in the late 60's.

Once again, the ending of this film is a little of a let down. It felt as if the movie makers saw their movie wasn't hitting enough funny bones and took a mixed up situation and blew it up into something ridiculous. Thus the entrance of the chicken truck, the hippies, and the too small Good Humor Costume.

This movie gets a three eggrolls out of a possible five eggrolls (3/5).

Oceans 11 (1960)

"That Big One!"

Directed by: Lewis Milestone
Written by: George Clayton Johnson, Jack Golden Russell, Harry Brown, Charles Lederer, and Billy Wilder
Starring: Frank Sinatra as Danny Ocean, Dean Martin as Sam Harmon, Sammy Davis Jr. as Josh Howard, Peter Lawford as Jimmy Foster, Richard Conte as Tony Bergdorf, and Cesar Romero as Duke Santos
Music by: Nelson Riddle

This movie was recently remade by Steven Soderbergh and the newer version has now become a hit spawning two sequels, Oceans 12 and Oceans 13 (due out this year). All I can say is this: Thank God for remakes.

The original version begins with a similar premise as the remake (this is kind of odd using the remake as the standard, but you'll understand why) - a group of old friends decide to get together and rob some casinos. The ringleader, Danny Ocean, is trying to win his wife back in the process, and one of the team's members has just been released from jail. However, this is where the similarities end.

Danny is just a layabout playboy who loves the thrill of breaking the law, and he and his friends from the 82nd Airborne in WWII meet up again 15 years later. Danny has been given plans to rob not one casino, but five - on New Year's. The plan is flawless and all of the 11 men are eager to take their cut. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned. One of the team members dies during the heist, and another member's new stepfather - who happens to be a mob boss - finds out who stole the money and tries to blackmail them. This forces the 10 to scramble and find another way to get the money out of Las Vegas and into their own pockets.

All of this might have made for a spectacular movie - except the end just falls flat on its face. The plot builds and builds and then suddenly ends without resolution. Which always makes me upset.

One thing I did enjoy about this movie was the music and visual editing. Of course, with the Rat Pack starring in it, there's bound to be some great music; and several of them find a way to showcase their pipes. The scenes with repetitive actions, such as the tagging of the security or breaker boxes, and the countdowns till midnight, or the heist itself, are done very creatively. And the cameos by Shirley MacLaine and Red Skelton are very funny.

Overall - I'd give this movie one robbed casino out of five possible robbed casinos (1/5)- because it just was a sorry excuse for the Rat Pack to get some more screen time.

King Kong (1933)

It is hard to imagine a film industry without "King Kong." It's influence and impact is incalcuable; it's mark on society larger than the title character itself. It's left a legacy that continues to this day, over seventy years later. Ask any child (or adult) who King Kong is, and they're nearly sure to know, even if they haven't seen the film. "King Kong" is unique in the fact that it's popularity is matched by both critical acclaim and artistic integrity. It has firmly cemented itself as a cinematic masterpiece. But how does it hold up, all these years later?

King Kong (1933)
Directed by: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Written by: Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace, James Ashmore Creelman, and Ruth Rose
Starring: Fay Wray as Ann Darrow, Robert Armstrong as Carl Denham, and Bruce Cabot as John 'Jack' Driscoll
Music Composed by: Max Steiner

The film opens in New York, in the midst of the depression. Carl Denhem, a film director, is desperate to find a leading lady for his new motion picture. However, no sensible actress dares to sign up: Denham is a known mavrick filmmaker, and his current film is to be shot after a long boat voyage to a destination unkown. Denhem is a strong, insistent man. He knows what he wants, and he's not willing to comprimise. When his casting agent informs him that there's simply no one willing to take the job, he simply goes to the streets to find his next star.

And, as everyone knows, he finds Ann Darrow. It isn't too difficult to convince to her to sign on - after all, she has nothing to lose. As soon as she's assured that this is entirely legit, she becomes enamored with (and at the same time, a little shy at) the prospect of being a star. They set sail the very next morning, aboard the freighter "Venture."

It is very quickly made known that the all male crew of the "Venture" are not exactly comfortable with a woman being on board. First mate Jack Driscoll complains that Ann is constantly getting in the way - a statement that isn't exactly true. There's even more discomfort at their destination - namely, the lack of one. Denhem finally admits their destination - an island that isn't on any known map. In fact, the only map that it can be found on is a map drawn by a native inhabitant that was swept out to sea. Denhem, to the growing unease of those with him, asks the Captain and Driscoll "Have you ever heard of... Kong?", describing it as a monstrous creature, one who's legend is clouded in fear and mystery.

However, their voyage continues. As does Jack Driscoll's continual insistence that women have no place onboard a ship. Of course, Jack becomes more and more attracted to Ann. Carl Denham takes note, and warns Jack that he has no room for any sort of love affair on his set - Jack quickly replies "Love affair! You think I'm gonn fall for any dame?" and goes on and on to assure Denham that he's a "tough guy." Denham replies (with clear foreshadowing), "...you're a pretty tough guy, but if Beauty gets you... It's the idea of my picture. The Beast was a tough guy too. He could lick the world. But when he saw Beauty, she got him. He went soft. He forgot his wisdom and the little fellas licked him. Think it over, Jack."

Soon enough, they're at Kong's island. They hear drums, and see a village perched upon a peninsula - and beyond the village, an enourmous wall that

The Screening Room

A
All About Eve (1950)
The Apartment (1960)

B
Bye, Bye Birdie (1963)

F
The Five Pennies (1959)
The Fountain (2006)

H
Hellboy (2004)

K
Keeping Mum (2005)
King Kong (1933)
Kinky Boots (2005)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

L
The Ladykillers (1955)
The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
Love, Actually (2003)

M
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)

O
Ocean's 11 (1960)
The Odd Couple (1968)

R
Rebecca (1940)

S
Speed Racer (2008)
Strangers on a Train (1951)

T
The Thin Man (1934)

U
Ushpizin (The Guests) (2004)

W
With Six You Get Eggroll (1968)