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RE: VIEWS (LOOK)

admin
22 December 2023

Here\'s what we\'re reading, watching, loving, and hating. Click on the title to buy it on Amazon. Then buy some beer and invite us over to watch it.




 


 

I admit, I was hoping for something a bit raunchy here; maybe fun new positions or other tips to help elevate one\'s sex life. Ah, no. This is much more of a PBS documentary, but instead of some slightly unattractive, deep-voiced guy with an accent as the host, we have an I-don\'t-care-if-she\'s-older-she\'s-still-hot Kim Cattrall, star of Sex and the City. Kim gives us great transitions and fun facts to compliment the many interviews with everyday people (gay, straight, and in-between) and respected authors. This DVD is great for people who are a bit shy or reserved when it comes to sex, masturbation, and fantasies; not so good for freaks like me. (Personally, I think every high school health class should play it when trying to teach sex ed.) Overall, well done, but I have to give it a lower grade because the music made me want to never have sex again.

 

THE GRADE: B

 

- Goldfish

 

SLAUGHTER PARTY (Troma Films)

 

Wow! I was so happy to get this that I tinkled a bit when I opened it. A killer zombie dwarf that was murdered and sodomized goes around seeking revenge by killing his victims and then having sex with their dying corpses. Fun! Another thing I liked was the cast lineup, starring scream queen divas from two of my most favorite Eighties\' horror movies: Felissa Rose from Sleepaway Camp, and Brinke Stevens from Slumber Party Massacre. Plus, it features porn filmmaker Seymour Butts, and the Ron Jeremy. I cherish this low-budget movie with all of its bloody gore.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Erik Adkison

 


 

Airing from 1971 through 1981, The Electric Company educated children while entertaining adults. True, it wasn’t as fun or as colorful as Sesame Street. And maybe it wasn’t as crazy or off-the-wall as The Muppet Show. But characters like Easy Reader and Jennifer of the Jungle are just as memorable as Big Bird and Gonzo. This four-disc set collects twenty of those memorable episodes from \'71 to \'77. Included in those episodes are appearances from Bill Cosby, Morgan Freeman, Irene Cara (seriously), and Gene Wilder. You also get episode intros from Rita Moreno, show outtakes, and a booklet that features a tribute to the show written by McSweeney’s editor Dave Eggers. Of course, if you didn’t grow up with this innovative show you will probably want to skip it. But if you’re my age and had PBS on through your entire childhood, this set will make you giddy with nostalgia.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Wayne Chinsang

 


 

Lollapalooza’s 1997 lineup got a lot of shit for being too \"bizarre\", but I was more than happy to see James, Korn, Snoop Dogg, and Tool share a stage that day. The closer that night was none other than The Prodigy. I was a fan of the group by that point, and was excited to see how their songs translated live. I was more than happy with what I got. This new DVD collects not only an entire performance at Brixton Academy from that same year, but also fifteen of their music videos. The concert performance is perfect, capturing exactly what it was like to see them in their hey-day. The performance is ten songs long, and you also get a handful of extras and behind-the-scenes featurettes. And if you’re still not sold, be sure to check out the music videos. I had forgotten how goddamn awesome and groundbreaking the video for \"Smack My Bitch Up\" was.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Wayne Chinsang

 

THE PSYCHOBILLY SICKNESS (HairBall 8 Records)

 

What the hell is psychobilly? Where the hell did it come from? Who the hell started it? Why the hell is it so huge in Japan?!? Find the answer to all these questions and more in this informative documentary about this ever-entertaining subculture. Is psychobilly Elvis meets Satan? Or Johnny Cash backed by the Misfits... performing in hell? Learn about bands who started it all (like The Meteors) and the bands who keep it going. My only complaints are that the documentary could use more editing and better audio. Otherwise, this is a very fun and educational film.

 

THE GRADE: B+

 

- Sal Swayzo

 

THE SECRET LIFE OF GEISHA (A&E Home Video)

 

The geisha world is often misunderstood by Westerners, not only because of cultural differences, but also because of the secretive nature of the Japanese. Oh, yeah-- and because of WWII-era notions that the geisha were high-quality hookers, thanks to American GIs. This documentary, narrated by Susan Sarandon, provides an excellent history of the geisha in Japan, as well as their unclear role in Japanese society today. But ultimately, it isn’t fooling anyone. After viewing this A&E piece, two things are evident: the geisha don’t give it up, and neither does the documentary. The actual secret life of geisha remains a secret, but the film teases you with just enough info to make you want to learn more.

 

THE GRADE: B+

 

- Hellkat

 

WHOLPHIN (McSweeney’s Publishing)

 

You ever come across something that you wish you would have thought up? Well, recently I was sent the premiere copy of Wholphin-- which is put out by McSweeney’s Publishing-- and the first thing I thought of was, \"Damn. Why hadn’t I thought of this?\" Wholphin is a quarterly DVD magazine that features everything from short films to documentaries to animations. And the first issue is damn pretty. Averaging at approximately a dozen individual \"articles\" (and over three hours of content), this first issue give you a Spike Jonze-directed documentary from 1999 following Al Gore on the campaign trail, a performance of filmmaker Jeroen Offerman singing \"Stairway To Heaven\" backwards, and an half-hour long Turkish sitcom with different subtitles written by five different guest writers. Oh, and did I mention the bit where comedian Patton Oswalt stares into a camera for five minutes? Or the guest appearances by David Byrne, John C. Reilly, and Selma Blair? Yep. Sure wish I had thought of this concept. Son of a bitch.

 

THE GRADE: A

 

- Wayne Chinsang

 


 

Feel like watching an award-winning film that deals with the important topics of society and life? No? Well, how about a movie about a Satanic serial killer that hunts down every topless skank that happens to be wearing a gold cross necklace? Yeah? Well, you’re in luck, because Troma Films has given you that very thing with the DVD release of this \"classic\". Look, I’ll make this one easy for you: if you like Satan, murder, gore, horrible acting, and more titties and bush than a porno, pick this up. If you’re not a big fan of any of that aforementioned stuff, go rent Wedding Crashers or some such shit.

 

THE GRADE: B-

 

- Wayne Chinsang
artid
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byline
Compiled by the staff of TLC
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Above image by <A HREF='http://www.ellagraph.com' target='_blank'><u><b>Kathrine Berger</b></u></A>
Old Image
8_6_lookheader.jpg
issue
vol 8 - issue 06 (feb 2006)
section
entertainmental
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