Little_Loie

I caught this movie the other day on cable, and I had absolutely no expectations. That is usually a good thing, as I'm rarely disappointed by a movie when watching it with that attitude. However, Tape didn't just disappoint me, it wasted my time. I've watched 'Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach' with a better reaction than this pompous load of nonsense.

I'm not a big fan of some of the movies in which Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard have participated (which began upon my viewing the ultra-depressing Dead Poets Society), but both actors have made movies I've enjoyed ('Gattaca' and 'In the Gloaming' top the list of favorites), and they are very talented actors. Uma Thurman almost always pleasantly surprises me, especially in 'The Truth About Cats & Dogs.' In fact, she was the most positive factor in this film full of negatives. The actors gave a good effort, but the material is sadly lacking. It was one of those movies you keep watching...HOPING that it will get better. Unfortunately, it doesn't get better. It doesn't do much of anything.

I found this movie to be tedious, pretentious, and really quite tiresome. It had a rather claustrophobic feel to it (most likely on purpose), and the characters didn't seem to be well developed. Tape tried to have its share of twists, but they seemed scattered, ill-conceived, and not particularly compelling.

The bouncy back-and-forth camerawork in one scene felt akin to having gone on a Tilt-a-Whirl and personally left me with a splitting headache. Good concept, poor execution.

In conclusion, there are a lot better ways to spend 86 minutes. My advice is to find one of them instead of watching this movie.

The Tracey Ullman Show, which premiered in April of 1987 (and didn't run nearly long enough), is the closest thing to the timeless classic Carol Burnett Show (circa late 60s/early 70s) that Generation X will probably ever see. Tracey brought back the variety show with a vengeance, and it was truly amazing. The acting (by a phenomenal cast) was nothing short of inspired, the dialogue was brilliantly written, it was nominated and deservedly won several Emmy and other awards, and it also gave the world The Simpsons. What more could one ask? For all these reasons and more, this series should be released on DVD, if for no other reason than to show the world what a great variety show this was.

The Tracey Ullman Show also boasted any number of very special guest stars, such as Tim Curry, Cesar Romero, Isabella Rossellini, Marilu Henner, Keanu Reeves, Kelsey Grammer, Carole King, Martin Short, and Glenn Close, among others - many of them appearing in musical numbers that I only wish I could obtain on CD.

Catch it...if you can.

I'd give this a 10 out of 10 if the IMDb had a rating system for TV series.

This is a fantastic documentary that should be viewed by anyone who liked anything about the 70s. This film covers it all - from classic rock to punk rock and everything in between. David Bowie's narration is a treat. 10/10