90s Movie Review - The Birdcage

Director: Mike Nichols
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 1996
Starring: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski

Description: A gay cabaret owner (Robin Williams) and his drag queen companion (Nathan Lane) agree to put up a false straight front so that their son (Dan Futterman) can introduce them to his fiancée’s right-wing, conservative parents (Genen Hackman, Dianne Wiest).

Review: Armand Goldman runs a night club in Florida, his partner Albert is a drag queen there and his main act. When Armand’s son tells him he is getting married, he has to put on a different show, since the in-laws are very conservative.

“The Birdcage” is a successful remake of the French “La Cage aux Folles”. I have never seen the original, so I cannot compare, but it feels like it shines as a standalone film.

Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, as Armand and Albert, are the absolute stars of the show. Their roles as a gay couple who run their night club are absolutely the highlight of the film.

The film remains relevant thanks to the sharp dialogue, and a timely message about acceptance, love and family. The movie came out in the late 90s and made the :GBTQ+ community more accessible. Pure entertainment and deeper satire on prejudice and political correctness. It’s a very funny film with unforgettable absurd situations.

“The Birdcage” is a feel-good comedy that still works.

Rating: 4/ 5

90s Movie Review - The Lion King

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Genre: Drama/ Animation/ Musical/ Comedy/ Adventure
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 1994
Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings

Description: Lion cub and future king Simba searches for his identity. His eagerness to please others and penchant for testing his boundaries sometimes gets him into trouble.

Review: “The Lion King” starts with the birth of Simba, the son of lion king Mufasa. Uncle Scar isn’t happy with his new nephew, because this makes Simba the next in line for the throne.
In the first place, “The Lion King” has a good story. This Disney film is one of the most successful animations for a reason. The movie is playful and fun, but also deals with some more serious themes. The execution of it all is sublime. Which makes “The Lion King” funny, exciting and touching and is filled with life lessons for all ages. Parenthood, friendship, loss, mourning, looking for yourself, responsibility, life and death.
The soundtrack is amazing. The songs are catchy, memorable and atmospheric. The characters too, not only the main characters, also the villain and the supporting characters.
“The Lion King” is one of the best animations ever made.

Rating: 5/ 5

TV Show Review - Only Murders in the Building (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 10
Year: 2021
Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Tina Fey, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane

Description: Three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime suddenly find themselves caught up in one.
 
Review: Steve Martin and Martin Short, both in their seventies, go back a long way. Martin wrote she screenplay for this new show and brough in his friend Short.
“Only Murders in the Building” is a very engaging series about jaded television actor Charles Haden-Savage, bankrupt theater producer Oliver Putman and the mysterious Mabel Mora. Not only do they all live in the Arconia Building in New York, but most importantly they find each other in their love of the true crime podcast “All is Not OK in Oklahoma”.
The addition of former Disney child star Selena Gomez to the cast is a golden touch. Not only to bring younger fans on board, but also she has perfect comedic timing and is great in combination with veteran actors Steve Martin and Martin Short. The age gap really works in our favor here.
When a murder is committed in the building, the three find each other in the ambition to sat in their own podcast, the title of which will be “Only Murders in the Building”, as they will be limited to the murders that have taken place in the Arconia. It is quickly apparent that each member of this curious trio has their own motives for making the podcast a success.
I love a good old-fashioned whodunit murder mystery. And that’s what “Only Murders in the Building” is. Add in a bit of humor, a fast-paced story and three protagonist you will love from the start (Oliver was my favorite). I loved this series. Easy to watch, since each episode is about 30 minutes long and there are only 10 of them. I can’t wait for a second season, which hopefully will be released in 2022.  

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 37: The Addams Family Values

Director: Barry Sonnefeld
Genre: Comedy/ Fantasy/ Horror
Runtime: 94 minutes
Year: 1993
Starring: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Joan Cusack, David Krumholtz, Carel Struycken, Christine Baranski, Peter MacNichol, David Hyde Pierce, Nathan Lane, Tony Shalhoub

Description: A comical Gothic horror-movie-type family tries to rescue their beloved uncle from his gold-digging new love.

Review: If you love macabre humor, this sequel to “The Addams Family” is right up your alley. And “The Addams Family Values” manages to keep the magic of the first film intact.
The family welcomes a new member, baby boy Pubert. Gomez and Morticia are very happy with their new baby, but his siblings Wednesday and Pugsley aren’t. they are trying to do everything to get rid of him. The Addams family decides to hire a nanny, in the form of Debbie. In real life she is a serial killer, who marries rich men to then eventually kill them and take their money. Her eyes are on Fester this time. And Wednesday and Pugsley are send to summer camp.
Probably the best parts of the film are set on Camp Chippawa and Wednesday, played by Christina Ricci, steals all the scenes.
Director Barry Sonnenfeld is energetic and inventive. Great eye for detail and a wonderful way to bring this family to life. Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston and Christopher Lloyd are again great in their roles and Joan Cusack is a lot of fun to watch.
Again the story isn’t that complicated, but it’s a good move to let the kids of the family have their own adventure. “The Addams Family Values” is not as good as the first film, but it’s not very far from it.

Rating: 4/ 5