Top Secret (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Top Secret! - the Jim Abrahams/Zucker Bros.' follow-up to Airplane! - does for (or is that *to*) Elvis movies and WWII espionage films what the earlier feature did for/to the airborne disaster genre. The gags are slightly more immature (not necessarily a bad thing, but in some cases may have been better had they been allowed to age a little before being put into production), but some, like the forced-perspective oversize phone or saying farewell to the Scarecrow, rival anything the ZAZ team has ever done.
The music is a mixed bag. "Skeet Surfing" and the Macy's jingle are great. "Tutti-Fruitti" and "Straighten the Rug" are less so (not that every song in an Elvis movie was worthy of screen time, either). Kudos to Val Kilmer, though; even when he's camping it up, the musical numbers remain watch- and listenable.
The only thing I don't care for on the disc is the audio commentary. The production team really rips the movie apart as if they had tried to make a "serious" film that fell apart. In that case, learning why/how it failed would be interesting and instructive. To shred a spoof film, especially a sophomore and sophomoric effort like Top Secret!, is entirely unwarranted. Sure there are plot holes. Sure it makes no sense that submarine would crash into a prison dungeon. Sure some things are only mildly amusing. Drawing undue attention to them is doubly pointless. Sheesh! If you're a big fan, skip the commentary.
I really enjoyed this movie and really (mostly) enjoyed its presentation on the DVD. There aren't a lot of extras, but be sure to hunt for the Easter Egg - it's definitely worth finding.

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An American rock star teams up with a scientist's daughter to rescue her father before the enemy can force him to make a devasting weapon.Genre: Feature Film-ComedyRating: PGRelease Date: 1-MAR-2004Media Type: DVD

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Walt Disney Treasures - Elfego Baca and The Swamp Fox - Legendary Heroes Review

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(More customer reviews)Swamp Fox was great. But why release only 3 of the 8 episodes? Why not a seperate set for each show with all of the episodes? Please, disney, gives us the whole series! My fuzzy VHS tapes off of TV are getting old!

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Inspired by true life heroes, these are two of Walt's most exciting television shows, ELFEGO BACA and THE SWAMP FOX.Elfego Baca is a gunfighter (Robert Loggia) in the old west who changes his ways to become sheriff and then a lawyer.Elfego deals with rampaging cowboys, outlaws and more in this exciting series about law and order on the frontier.The Swamp Fox stars Leslie Nielsen (who starred in the classic film "Forbidden Planet," and would later become famous for the "Airplane" and "Naked Gun" movies) as Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion.This patriot fought the British using unusual methods, and became known as "The Swamp Fox."In this superb series, Marion matches wits with the Tories in a story of adventure and action. Bonus materials will include an interview with Robert Loggia, star of "Elfego Baca;" "Tales of Courage and Adventure" a featurettethat examines the origins of these historical figures and the fascinating story of their lives, still frame galleries from these TV shows, and more. Introductions by Leonard Maltin. CONTENTS *Elfego Baca: Nine lives of Elfego Baca *Four Down and Five Lives to Go *Attorney at Law *Swamp Fox: Birth of the Swamp Fox *Brother Against Brother *Tory Vengeance

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Dracula - Dead and Loving It (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me say at the start that it's the perfect (and required) companion-piece to Mel's own classic, "Young Frankenstein."
That said, I have to admit - this movie grew on me.
When it first came out in 1995 I was still in the military and, though a great fan of Mel's films, I didn't have time to go see it. Given it's evident lack of theatrical success, it was available on VHS shortly there after and I rented it from a local video store.
At first, it was amusing, but not much else.
However, my local renter gave me two weeks to review it and, as I watched with more attention to detail, I grew to appreciate it's comic genius.
Others have written that it's a salute to Universal's 1937 classic "Dracula." It's all of that, but much more. It mocks elements of Frank Langella's sexy 1979 "Dracula," but the most obvious parody is Francis Ford Coppola's much more pretentious "Bram Stoker's Dracula."
Much of the dialogue is lifted, verbatim, from Universal's "Dracula," but given a new twist. For example the theater scene where Leslie Nielsen, as Dracula, attempts to contact Dr. Seward (played by Harvey Korman) and, before entering their opera box, instructs the usherette (played by Leslie Sachs) to "remember nothing of what I have said" - she takes him at his word and throws open the curtains to only stare at Seward & company and wonder blankly why she's there!
Another bit of amusing trivia is the famous stake scene. Steven Weber, playing Jonathon Harker, drives a stake through Lucy Westenra's (portrayed by Lysette Anthony) heart. In the production, no one told Steven that gallons and gallons of fake blood would erupt - and it shows! You can actually see Steven struggle to remember his lines and go on with the show.
One other bit of trivia - if there any Cub Scout Leaders out there who've seen this movie, check me out on this. In the Ball Room scene where Mel Brooks (playing Dr. Van Helsing) is decked out in tuxedo, isn't the medal he's wearing on his lapel a "Tiger Cub Leader" scout medal?
See it - Buy it - Love it. It's very nearly the last of a genre of humor that can be enjoyed by every generation of your family. From the youngest to the oldest, all will find a reason to laugh.

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A comic reinvention of the Bela Lugosi classic about a Transylvanian vampire who works his evil spell on a perplexed group of Londoners. Mel Brooks's Count is a pratfalling evil prince of a guy who believes in long relationships. Brooks portrays vampire hunter Van Helsing, who won't give a bloodsucker an even break.DVD Features:Audio Commentary:Commentary by director/co-writer Mel Brooks, co-stars Steven Weber and Amy Yasbeck, and co-writers Rudy De Luca and Steve HabermanTheatrical Trailer

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