Eelsnake

Yes, this was a good spoof on a Bond film, but it was actually quite funny, and it fulfilled its purpose as a spoof a bit better than did Alien Files--and probably because Bond is more universally known than Scully and Mulder. The actors' lines were fitting and silly, and the sex scenes were truly comical and provided a lot of exposure. Although Delphine Pacific gets naked right off, and although she's pretty hot, her character is a wise-cracking bimbo stand-up who tells one liners even while she's getting drilled. Robert Donovan was great in this--the movie is worth watching for his believable performance. He should actually audition to be the next Bond! For the older ladies: Early 80's Penthouse model and B-movie queen Michelle Bauer still looks great; and so does De'Ann Power who makes a fine canvas for her body paint. This is a truly stupidly funny movie and avoids being lame while still being campy and sexy. The only problem with all this is that I know that I've seen some of these scenes before; about 4 or 5 years ago on cable, which leads me to question why this film was released now.

There are some who have reported that "Oleanna" is unrealistic, in regard to manner of dialogue, diction, action of the players, etc... And these reports are absolutely correct. However, the unreality and awkwardness of the dialogue and at times nonsensical turns of phrase bring the viewer into what is actually happening in the film. In other words, the events depicted in the film are disturbing: misrecognition of motives and statements on both sides that render the players at each other's mercy--or helpless. The viewer is involuntary brought into this dance, and forced to decipher and piece together a very disjointed encounter as a participant. It almost seems at times as though two sides of the same story are being told--that were filmed separately in the same place; that both actors are in monologues that have been subsequently united to form a dialogue. Yet is not this the case in regard to the manner that we communicate as a matter of course? I think that Mamet's exagerration of this structure of communication serves to drive the point home that misrecognition is perhaps the best that we can hope for in any kind of relationship as a default setting. So its not that Mamet's film is too far afield from the manner in which we act and communicate, but quite the opposite: it's too close to how things actually are, and the proximity and accuracy of his portrayal of this is what proves to be so disturbing. It's definitely worth a few viewings.

Animal House illustrates the zany side of a small liberal arts college with a strong Greek system as the only social outlet. The college models for this film most undoubtedly must have been Dartmouth and Colgate--both great tiny "work hard party harder" colleges in the middle of nowhere where the Greeks rule (although they used to rule more in the past). The late John Belushi is great as the whiskey guzzling, mashed potato spitting Bluto who has spent 7 years in college and still hasn't graduated. The funniest characters are Doug Niedermyer and Eric Stratton because they're extreme parodies of the archetypes they represent. Much of the wildness and insanity depicted in Animal House is accurate to fraternity life these days (although I wouldn't know about it in 1962, but older individuals that I've consulted who were in fraternities at that time vouch for the accuracy of the film). I would give this film a 10 for content, comedy, accuracy, and absurdity. Don't miss it.