PAN'S LABYRINTH

Written by Fantsma el Rey

Hello, fiends! Fantasma’s back. That’s right; I fell off the wagon for a while but now I’m on track and checking in with a crazy little review for the Oscar-nominated El Laberinto Del Fauno, Pan’s Labyrinth for the English release. With no further ado, a quick rundown of the story…

From the mind of writer-director Guillermo del Toro comes a terrifying tale of hideous monsters and gruesome deeds that only the most warped souls are capable of. And that’s just the role of the military men in dictator Francisco Franco’s 1944 Spain. At the heart of this story is an imaginative young girl who flees to the fairytale world of her mind to escape the horrors that will eventually engulf her.

Isolated in an old mill on a hill, young Ofelia must deal with not only the death of her father, but also the overbearing presents of her stepfather, the iron-fisted Capitan Vidal. As well as her mother’s troubled pregnancy. Let’s not forget the clean-up campaign against local rebels going on around her, which is the reason that the capitan was sent to the area to begin with, eventually sending for his new wife and unborn boy.

Very early into her stay, gunfire, explosions, cruelty, death, and the impending doom of her mother surround Ofelia. There are good people in her life as well, who will contribute to her fantasy with their kindhearted words and actions. Into these surroundings she is thrust and must now somehow cope. So how would any young person with only adults to interact with and a passion for books cope? By seeking refuge in the garden maze and inventing a world of her own, much like the ones that she has read about. Only in this world, she is the princess and heroine.

Large frogs that drain the land of life and baby-eating monsters that have eyes in their hands inhabit Ofelia’s new universe. Most important is the ancient faun (a half-man, half-goat creature, much like the panpipe-playing Greek god, Pan) who sets her on a journey that all heroes know they must face and overcome to be allowed their just rewards. Guided by fairies, she enters the phantom realm in order to fetch and return with the boons that will help her achieve her end goal. All the while the nightmares of war rage around her.

Del Toro has done a masterful job in the writing and directing of this film. The story flows and holds the viewer’s interest from beginning to end; there’s never a dull moment and I’ve seen it twice. His actors are brilliant, bringing his tale to wonderfully horrific life. There are shots that are beautiful; one scene in particular is Ofelia telling her unborn brother a story of the Rose of Life. The camera magnificently enters the world of mystery through the mother’s womb, the first place of magic and awe for us all. Del Toro is definitely on top of his game and shows what a creative mind can do.

What led me to tackle this review is that sadly more than once after watching the film I heard the questions, “…so was it all in her head” and yes, the truly concerning “what the hell was that all about?” Great Googa Mooga, people! Really this one isn’t that hard to figure. Was it in her head? No, it was real! My neighbor used to be a faun and had goat legs when he was a kid. He would send me around kicking light poles to call down spirits. Really, true story.

One could argue either point of reality or fantasy. Yet it is easy to see how and, as explained earlier, why a child could and would dream up this mystic world. Creating a world full of wonder and mystery is easy for a child with imagination and a little space to wander and roam. Trust me I know. When I was young, you could have handed me four sticks and I’d pretend to be anything: a rock ’n’ roll drummer, Roman legionnaire, or mythical hero searching for a dragon called “thoushalt”, but that’s a story that my therapist will have to deal with in my later years. And again, thank the lord I didn’t grow up in some war-infested place like Franco’s Spain or someplace in the Middle East that begins with an “I.” The creative folks out there will pick up on this in a heartbeat. Danny, Cristina, I’m looking at you. And thanks for the intelligent conversation and free tickets to my second viewing of this film.

As far as the “what was that?” question, really have we become that far removed or sunk that low as a movie-watching nation that a fantasy story laid over the atrocities of war is that hard to comprehend? Do the masses no longer take their own experiences to a movie, so that they can apply and interpret a film for themselves? Do we constantly need a director sitting next to us providing commentary? Oh wait; most people don’t even use that feature when they buy a DVD, so it mustn’t be that.

Seriously, I don’t know. Some can see the bigger picture and read between the lines to formulate their own valuable views, opinions, and explanations. I draw hope from the fact that out there on campuses across the nation and in living rooms throughout the land there are young ghoulies who do get it with out having to be spoon-fed. I know a few and God bless ‘em. I’m ramblin’ so…

Yes, I like Pan’s Labyrinth a bunch and recommend it to all. Especially my fellow creepy sorts who adore the things that go bump in the night. See it for yourself and draw your own conclusions as to how Ofelia made her adventures possible.

And a big phantom world of thanks to a certain “rockabilly-philly” who helped ol’ Fantasma find his way back to the creative world of the imaginative pen.

Keller Williams: Dream

Written by Fumo Verde

Fumo here with one of the best-sounding CDs I've heard in a while. Dream-- wow, that's a big name to fill, but fill it he does. This disc contains sixteen tracks with some top musicians from every aspect of the music spectrum, folks like Bob Weir, Bela Fleck, Michael Franti, and the String Cheese Incident. With a line-up like that, I must be dreaming, but it’s not just my dream because Williams fulfills many of his by playing with all these amazing artists.

Each track has a totally different sound from the one before it, giving the CD a "cool mix" style. "Play This" is the first track and it starts off fast and hard, which Williams explains why in the liner notes. I've often wondered how an artist gets idea for songs. "Play This" was something that came about after he was asked if he could write a song that could be played on the radio. Williams listened to a certain station for a while and that's what gave him the inspiration. It kind of has that Punk-Shout-Rock-Sing quality you might find on any billboard-pushing FM station nowadays, but Williams gives it a little twist.

Switch over to "Cadillac" and you find the trio of Williams, Bob Weir, and Bob's dog, Jackson Hamlet Weir, recorded at Weir's house in California. The root of this tune has a definite blues sound with a little bluegrass feel to it. "I love to cover Dead songs, and to have Bob Weir sing one of mine is a dream come true,” Williams says on the liner notes. He also said that he wrote the song with Weir in mind. The story is about a guy going to pick up his Cadillac. "Red and white/ creamy leather/ Roof stuck down/ praying for better weather." Both men play acoustically as Jackson barks in the background for effect. I play first each time I turn the power on my player.
From here we'll jump over to "Cookies," a jam tune where Williams laid down the tracks and then sent it onto to Fareed Haque, an associate professor of guitar at Northern Illinois University. Haque is an accomplished guitarist but he also plays an instrument that is a cross between a guitar and a sitar. The sounds off this track are unbelievable and though it's time is just less than five minutes, I still consider it a damn good jam.

Williams didn't set out to make an album with all his favorite people doing what he thought they should do. He made it with them in mind, and gave them the freedom to use their talents, and if that changed the original way he first had a track, then so be it. He found out that by letting the other artists add to his dreams, they became more vibrant and colorful.

Keller Williams is a great jam artist with witty lyrics and a light-hearted tone who brings fun back into music. Dream can be described only by its name because it was a dream for him to have worked with his hall of fame, and it is a dream for those who hear it. An abundance of sound that is sure to please the ear, the mind, and the soul. As crazy as this world can get, sometimes we just need to kick back and dream, and here's the soundtrack to do that. Have fun.

THE MASKED MOVIE SNOBS PICK THE WORST FILMS OF 2006

Caballero Oscuro
The Pink Panther

I like the original Pink Panther films. I like Steve Martin. I even like Beyonce. But the combination of all of them in the latest ill-advised studio remake is the worst idea and execution of the year. Remember when Steve Martin cared about his films? Remember when he was funny and sometimes even dramatic and wasn't just cashing a paycheck? Steve Martin couldn't successfully replace Peter Sellers under any circumstances, and he's not helped by the incredibly weak material patched together into a less-than-serviceable final product. The sight gags are obvious a mile away, the plot is completely common, and there's absolutely no chemistry between any of the stars. In short, it's a frustratingly mundane attempt to pander to the masses that fails miserably on all counts.



Cara de Pescado
The Break-Up

Choosing a film to win the honors of being the worst film all year is sometimes as difficult as selecting the best, other years it is quite easy. Picking the worst of 2006 fell somewhere in between as I could pick three films I didn't like at all. Do I pick one that had some enjoyable moments but had jokes that went too far to the point of being old and unfunny, a dumb film that pissed me off more than it made me laugh, or do I pick one that was just uncomfortable? Since I at least liked the bear and chicken in Borat, and Material Girls did have a few moments where I at least smiled, I decided to go with The Break-Up. It was advertised as though it would be some cute Romantic Comedy, but there was nothing romantic nor comical about the movie.

It is uncomfortable when you're with friends who are bickering or siblings who fight a lot. The Break-Up is 105 minutes of that sort of uncomfortable squabbling. I don't need to waste over an hour and a half of my life watching people fight when there is no point to it. They don't resolve their problems, nor do they even seem to try. Vince Vaughn didn't even look attractive in it. No, the only two good things about The Break-Up were Jennifer Aniston's butt and the condo. I am looking to buy a home, maybe they could have sold it to me and quickly gotten out of my life.



Hombre Divertido
Poseidon

When asked to choose my worst movie of 2006, many came to mind: The Break-Up, Accepted, How to Eat Fried Worms, and Nacho Libre. Oh Nacho Libre was bad, and so disappointing, but it was not the worst movie of the year. Now, granted, I did not see every movie this year, and I am sure there are some very deserving films out there, but for me; it rises and sinks with Poseidon, a horribly under-utilized all-star cast, underdeveloped story, poor special effects, and a complete failure in comparison to the original.

How it was possible to take the 1972 classic Irwin Allen production, and turn it into the shipwreck that it is I have no idea, but I must applaud the lack of effort put into this.

Irwin Allen knew that the key to the success of a disaster film is to give us characters that we care about, and that is done by developing the characters prior to the disaster. He did this brilliantly in The Poseidon Adventure. We got none of that in Poseidon.

I said it when I first reviewed it, and I’ll say it again: This film is a snooze fest from start to finish that generates little excitement or interest.

Recommendation: Wait for it to come out on DVD, and then rent the original.



Mil Peliculas
Silent Hill

The worst film I recall seeing was Silent Hill. The egregiously boring based-on-a-videogame turd. The plot, story, characters and sound were dreadful, other than that it was fine. I would recommend banning everyone but its cinematographer from any future work in the film industry. Although all he did was copy the video game's look exactly he did not manage screw that up. Can't really supply a synopsis as I have already deleted this abomination and sent all its links to my mental recycle bin.



Sombrero Grande
RV

When a drama is seriously awful, it can often turn amusing for all the wrong reasons. Sometimes, as is best illustrated with the infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space, the film can become all the more enjoyable for its laughable qualities.

But what happens when a deliberate comedy is downright awful, when not a chuckle is to be gained and there's certainly no serious or dramatic enjoyment to be had? Well then you have the worst kind of movie; one that offers no legitimate entertainment...a movie like RV.

Unlike other no-doubt laughless wonders that came out this year (Date Movie, Deck the Halls, etc.), RV is one movie I made the mistake of actually presuming might hold the promise of a few laughs and so subjected myself to watching. With the cancellation of the genius Arrested Development last year I was eager to see actors Will Arnett and Tony Hale show up in post-Bluth family roles, but in RV Hale has little more than a cameo and Arnett is utterly wasted in the “villain” role by the incompetent script and inept direction.

Egregiously ill-conceived in just about every way, RV offers painful, lengthy set-ups that lead to such comedic gems as Robin Williams getting soaked in liquid fecal matter. The ill-deserved egotism of director Barry Sonnenfeld shines through in every belabored camera turn that focuses on his mug which he has plastered larger that life on the side of the titicular recreational vehicle.

RV is utterly worthless; a laugh—or even smirk—free “comedy” that will remain the worst time I spent in all 2006 watching a movie. This RV is to be avoided as if it were barreling down the road toward you.



El Bicho
American Dreamz

From the trailer, American Dreamz gathers subject matter from politics to pop culture in what could have been a brilliant, biting satire about the current state of America and its citizenry. Instead, what is delivered is a Saturday Night Live parody. Unfortunately for the audience, it’s the unfunny, last sketch of the night that begins at 12:51 A.M. as filler between commercials before the host says, “Good night.” I sat in a theatre where no one laughed and if I hadn’t been reviewing the film, I would have walked out after about 40 minutes from sheer boredom.

Writer/director Paul Weitz has obviously generated a great deal of money from the American Pie franchise because I don’t understand how this film got made. The “comedy” was non-existent. Only someone surrounded by yes-men and ass-kissers would think this script was ready to go. Put an unknown screenwriter’s name on the front page and it would hit the trashcan so fast a sonic boom would have been heard from miles around. Other than the people who need a paycheck and maybe Hugh Grant, who is given a chance to play off-type, I don’t believe anyone read this script before agreeing to make it.

American Dreamz has aspirations to be something grand but its ideas are so obvious they are rendered lame. American Idol purposely picks contestants that are bad so we can laugh at them. No. Who knew? Thanks for the revelation. Chaney controls the President and what he says. Really? Never heard that before. Now, I’m no fan of the President, but the film paints him as borderline retarded, distracted by shiny objects. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be funny or commentary since it accomplished neither. Weitz and his lackeys need to realize that just because you have an idea does not make it good, unique or funny. If he had reviewed this film, he would have thought it both brilliant and humorous to have the headline read: American Nightmarez.

STREET FIGHT

Written by Fumo Verde

I have always considered American politics as a game of strong-arming and intimidation, and this film has sure cemented my belief in what we like to call "democracy." Politics in the city of Newark, NJ, is definitely a hardball, fast pitch game, but when an old incumbent feels threatened he can and will use whatever means necessary to keep power. This story focuses on Cory Booker, a 34-year-old Rhodes Scholar from Oxford with diplomas from Stanford and Yale Law School, and his battle against long-time incumbent and only the second African American elected as Mayor of Newark, Sharpe James.

In 2002, Marshall Curry set out to make a documentary about the campaign in Newark NJ, but instead stumbled into a fierce battle. Within Street Fight’s first five minutes, Booker is canvassing an apartment building in an effort to make himself known to its residents. He is a member of the Newark City Council and believes he can do better than incumbent James. As Booker talks to the constituents, the Chief of the Housing Authority appears, letting him know that not only is being asked to leave, but the police are waiting outside to escort him if he won't. "The police" is too generic a term because rather than the expected beat cops, Booker discovers the Assistant Chief and the top Sergeant of the Newark City Police. "This is one of the harshest districts in the city. Police rarely patrol here, but I show up and they roll out the big brass. What's the deal?" Booker wonders as he gets into his car.

Next, Curry gets permission to follow the James campaign, but once they find out that he is following Booker too, he is threatened and told that he is not allowed to film the Mayor. “Threatened?” you ask. Yeah, on camera. Curry is good like that; he knows his rights and isn't easily bullied. He's also smarter than the James’ people and gets a reporter to follow the Mayor. On Election Day the reporter is on a bus full of James supporters, heading out to put "boots on the ground." Funny thing about these supporters for the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, is that they are all from Philadelphia, PA, the city of brotherly love. When these good Samaritans are asked what would bring people from a different state to do this, the number one answer was money. Half of them had no idea who Sharpe James was, and I bet the other half had no idea of where New Jersey was.

If you think that's a little messed up, how about this: both James and Booker are of African descent and registered Democrats. James proclaims at many a rally and in most Jersey newspapers that Booker was not black, wasn’t a registered Democrat, and received money from the KKK and other crackpot groups. Don't mind the issues; hammer your opponent with nonsense. When Booker holds a small town hall meeting, the people ask, "Do you really live in Newark?" "How much money did the KKK give you," and "Ain’t you a Republican?" As the camera fades to black, a little boy turns to Booker and says, "Are you White?"

Other examples of entrenched power are the abuse of city services. Those who openly support Booker are punished, such as three cops who are placed on foot patrol in some of the worst parts of town. The Newark Fire Authority gets into the act to by closing down three shops that show back Booker. Many other shopkeepers said they knew fines and closures would take place if their allegiance was known. The Federal government steps in to enforce the policy that city workers, such as the police and firemen, are not allowed to remove campaign signs until after the election. Yet the Newark Fire and Police are out removing Booker’s signs left and right, while amazingly James’ are untouched.

I believe that our political system is better than what most of the world has, but is it truly? I was totally enthralled by this film as it played out in the streets. Booker tries to get the people to listen to him by going door to door, as James intimidates and bullies. I also believe that when James first got to office he was full of ideas and hope, but once the taste of power and the thrill of using it became the norm, he, like others in that position, was willing to do anything to keep it.
Hands down, Street Fight shows you what we all hope doesn't happen in our cities. Unfortunately, this film sheds light on the dirty, underhanded dealings that a large percentage of our elected officials engage in to avoid the questions and the issues that honestly make differences in our everyday lives. If you want to learn about American politics, here's a crash course. Put on the pads because you will be bruised.

Filmmaker Marshall Curry is going to have a hard time topping this one with what he does next, and I can't wait to see whatever it maybe.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Written by Hombre Divertido

The Pursuit of Happyness is just that. You will have to ask yourself if that one hundred and sixteen minute pursuit is worth the happiness gleaned. Reluctantly, I say no.

This is an enthralling film with a fine performance by Will Smith as a man facing one roadblock after another while attempting to not only provide for his son, but also improve their lives.

Based on the true story of Chris Gardner broadcast three years earlier on 20/20, this film takes us through a seven month period in the life of Gardner and his son that includes his wife abandoning them, the loss of more than one domicile, and an attempt to complete a six month internship that comes without a salary.

Smith portrays Gardner with a stoic sense of resolve, and Jaden Smith (Will’s real life son) gives a well-coached performance as Gardner’s son Christopher. Together we watch them deal with situations that would push many beyond their capacity to cope, and can’t help but be drawn into this well paced and directed story.

So, why my reluctant negative to the question posed? Too much of a bad thing followed by not enough good. It’s not difficult to see our ending coming as Hollywood rarely tells us tales with unhappy conclusions, and without being specific; our ending is a happy one. The problem is simply that we as an audience invest so much into our relationship with the characters, that to have the happiness conveyed to us as nothing more than a few paragraphs displayed on the screen is extremely unsatisfying.

The show business creed of always leaving the audience wanting more is generally a good one, but in the case of The Pursuit of Happyness it is nothing but a source of frustration as we know there is no more of this story to come. A sequel would fail, and thus we are left to ponder how our hero copes with his newfound success.

Smith certainly deserves the accolades he is receiving for this performance, and the story garnered both tears and applause in the theater during my viewing, but this is an incomplete story. Perhaps it was the Hollywood unwritten policy of keeping films at two hours, or the failure of the writers to determine a vehicle in which they could properly convey a level of success bestowed upon our characters without instilling a fromage factor upon the endeavor. Either way; after investing the time and feeling the pain, we deserved more satisfaction.

Recommendation: Wait for the DVD, and watch it with Enemy of the State, so you get a chance to see what happens when Will Smith takes control of a situation.

THE DEAD GIRL

Written by Jámon Y. Huevos

Karen Moncrieff (Blue Car – 2002) has given audiences her take on violence against women in her dark and compelling film The Dead Girl. Five women are deeply affected by the appearance of a young woman’s brutally beaten body in a lonely field. The story unfolds in a sequence of five complete stories revolving around the impact of the corpse on the stranger, the sister, the wife, the mother, and the dead girl.

Each of the five stories is persuasive. The ways in which the dead girl affects the women feels tragically natural. While each of the women acts in ways most of us would hope we could avoid, Moncrieff has written a script in which all the actions are believable; frightening, sure, but these women inhabit a world in which women are mutilated and dumped like so much trash. The Dead Girl does an admirable job of mixing that darkness with hope. All of the women, after all, work steadily toward finding a way to coexist in a violent world.

Movies that tell their stories in a series of what amount to independent short films need to resonate with each other if the audience is to feel connected with a single story arc. The arc in The Dead Girl is the emotional impact of a dead woman in the woods. That is a huge emotional weight, and the film does its best to keep that emotion streaming seamlessly from section to section. The problem is that when we meet new characters every twenty minutes, time is needed for the audience to connect with those people. You will find yourself longing for more in each section; more characterization, longer scenes, a bigger sense of history for each of the characters. There are certain moments and lines we might accept as not being over the top if they’d had two hours to earn them; however, ten minutes into a story arc, when a mother tells her daughter that God took the wrong child from her, it’s hard to stifle a groan.

The film is peppered with fabulous performances. Toni Collette and Giovanni Ribisi are especially compelling in their morbid, and strangely comic, roles in which they give a believable look at a burgeoning, but messed up, romance. Giovanni Ribisi has paid his dues, it is high time for audiences to see him for the stellar actor he is. Also, Brittany Murphy gives a surprisingly emotional performance that has depth and a manic charm. Murphy seems to be in every other film these days; this is the role where she deserves to be taken seriously.

The Dead Girl does need to be seen. For every moment it falls short, there is a moment made beautiful by the gorgeous cinematography, clean editing, and meticulous direction. Modern news has deflated the calamity of violence toward women into a sound bite surrounded by a rush for ratings. The Dead Girl has the necessary impact to break open this topic for serious discourse.

OCEAN ODYSSEY

Written by Fumo Verde

As a surfer and the son of a sailor, Mother Ocean has always called out to me, so when I got wind of this little video, I dove in headfirst. BBC Video has come up with a fantastic story about the life of a Sperm whale. Using live action footage, CGI technology, and the most recent scientific information, Ocean Odyssey takes us on adventure deep into the world of this planet’s largest living mammal, exploring the vast undersea landscape from which all life once came.

This is a great show for anyone interested in the science of the deep. The story starts with a Sperm whale that has beached himself on the shores of New Zealand. From here the narrator raises questions concerning the life of this massive creature of the abyss. We then flashback 80 years ago to 1926 where a ship is repairing telegraph lines that have been laid out across the Atlantic from Europe to America. Out in the mid-Atlantic near the Azores Island chain, a young male calf is preparing to make his first deep dive, something he will continuously to do for the rest of his life.

Whales are always on the search for food as they roam their kingdom. Along this journey our whale discovers his world through the sight of sonar. The clicking and snapping noises that whales make are not just for communication, but also act as radar giving the whale a 3-D map of the world under the water. In his travels, the whale battles Orcas, feasts on giant squid, dodges gas-filled rocks that shoot up from underwater volcanoes, and explores the ice-layered ocean of the Antarctic.

Not only do we learn about the Sperm whale, but we also encounter other strange lands and creatures. Heat vents are sediment deposits that plume like smoke stacks rising off the ocean floor. At seven-stories high, they let out the heat and pressure from deep inside the mantle of the earth; they are also breeding grounds for tiny organisms, which are the building blocks of the greater food chain.

The underwater plains and valleys that our whale roams come alive through computer generated imagery, or CGI. Lighting up the ocean where even the sun cannot penetrate is a sight to see in itself. Using satellite charting of the ocean floor, the filmmakers have blended together a grand picture of what the land looks like under all that water. They show us the tallest mountain on our planet, Mt. Kilauea, which when measured from its base on the ocean floor is one thousand meters taller than Mt. Everest. We also get a CGI look at a curtain of fire, a split in the ocean's Pacific floor. Here the planet is renewing itself as earthquakes and volcanoes force the mantle plates apart and form a new ocean floor. These are some of the aspects of the film that make it stand out among other documentaries. We even have a climax when our whale goes to chow down on the second biggest creature in the sea, the colossal squid.

I was enthralled from the opening of the movie to the very end. This is a single DVD with two episodes, each running 60 minutes. Bernard Hill is the narrator and he does a superb job. The only thing I didn't like, and it’s because I'm a lazy American and I like it that way, is that every thing was in the Metric system. I'm used to feet, miles, and tons rather than meters and kilos (at least not these kilos). Hearing Bernard say that an adult male has to eat up to one thousand kilos of food per day to stay alive made me have to think about how much a kilo is. I found myself backtracking on the disk because I missed something during my thoughts about weight. That's just me; most of you probably won't have that problem.

A great tool for learning and an amazing adventure to embark on, BBC Video makes a big splash with this whale tale. For the young budding oceanographer or anybody who loves the world around them, this movie is great and should be watched by the whole family. This one goes on Fumo's "Very Highly Recommended" list.

The Best of The Electric Company, Vol.2.

Written by Fumo Verde

Hey you, guuuuuuuuys!!! The second volume of The Electric Company has made it to DVD. For those of us born between the years of 1967 and 1972, this collection is a throwback to the days when all we had to worry about were the monsters under our beds. At that time, Children’s Television Workshop, creators of Sesame Street, were focused on making learning fun and accessible. Yet The Electric Company wasn't just for kids because the producers, cast, and crew made sure that the parents who watched were entertained as well.

It all came back as soon as the music started, and each episode I watched I remembered vividly. There were two streaks that ran through these shows; one was an emphasis on learning, the other on fun. Some of the best minds in the Education Department of America were brought in to set the curriculum and to make sure that the show stuck to it. Each actor knew what had to be taught. They understood the rules and knew where the boundaries were. They were still given the freedom to adlib, and being actors, they took advantage of this opportunity as much as they could. This is what made The Electric Company entertaining.

All the members of this all-star cast are present among the twenty episodes, which are spread over four DVDs. Morgan Freeman as Easy Reader, Bill Cosby parading around like a Musketeer, and of course, Rita Moreno yelling her trademark, “Hey You Guuuuuuyyyys!!!” The show also boasted appearances by Mel Brooks, Wilt Chamberlain, Victor Borge, Gary Owens, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton and even Spider-Man. Satirist Tom Leher wrote several songs for the show, such as “Silent E.” It was a community effort to teach the children. The early years of The Electric Company gave the cast and crew little sleep and even less money, but they loved doing it.

The producer/actors Jim Boyd, Skip Hinnant, and Judy Graubart created the show with old vaudeville routines in mind. Rather than having one storyline to follow, each episode contained a multiple sketches, both live and animated, that ran about three to five minutes. Some of the lessons were repeated throughout. This was a smart way to run things due to the fact that most kids have short attention spans. The little vignettes taught them something, made them laugh, and then moved on before the child knew it. It was a winning formula and would probably work today with all these ADD and ADHD kids.

My favorite on these discs aren't the shows, but the extras. There is a remembering of The Electric Company by Skip, Jim, Judy, and Hattie Winston. These four were the roots of the show and they were there from beginning to end, explaining how they did it and the joy they feel even today by being a part of this show. There is a short documentary made in 1975 about the show on disc two, and best of all, an interview with Bill Cosby on The Dick Cavett Show that was broadcast in 1971.

The Shout Factory has given us another great gift with The Best of The Electric Company, Vol.2. Whether you want to get back to the kid deep inside of yourself or you want to turn your kids on to what you were watching back in the day, these four DVDs are a treasure to have. This show was and is a true classic. It taught us how to read and write with smiles on our faces as well as theirs.

Tony Lucca: Canyon Songs

Written by Fumo Verde

All right, katz and kittenz, it's Fumo here with a smile on his face. After having to force myself to listen to Drake Bell’s It’s Only Time, Tony Lucca’s Canyon Songs has saved the day. Lucca, who is another graduate of the star-spewing Disney Studios, but unlike any of his fellow alumni, actually has true talent. He wrote all the songs and music and proves on this CD that not only is he a finely tuned musician with a soft and powerful voice, but a genuine artist who can paint vivid pictures with his words of love, pain, sorrow, and happiness.

The title itself, Canyon Songs, brings up images of old cowboys in beat-up pick-up trucks traveling alone on long dusty roads that stretch endlessly into the setting sun. With the first track, "Death Of Me," Lucca captures the spirit of Western Blues. He plucks and strums his acoustic guitar with the occasional slide, giving the tune a Willie Nelson-twang to it and weaves a tale that most can relate to when someone you love doesn't seem to love you. "You told me you would always be there, I guess I heard you wrong./ If I held my breath, you'll be the death of me."

Yet Lucca isn't just a country blues singer; he considers himself the love child of Sade and James Taylor. His other influences, from Steve Wonder to Bruce Springsteen, can be felt throughout the album. "Darling I" has a definite Springsteen root in the beat and rhythm of the drums and guitar. The song is about an old relationship that's being held onto by someone who doesn't want it to end. "Got no story that ain't been told, just tired excuses,/ Girl, they're getting old..." Weathered words sung by a man who is writing what he feels and how it affects him. This is what the radio needs right now. "The Hustler, The Widow, and The Boy from Detroit" is another Springsteenesque song with its haunting harmonica calling out from beyond. It is a sad tale of death and loss with the chorus letting you know that "bad things happen to good people all the time."

Lucca has put his heart into this CD and it shows. He is a talented wordsmith reflecting the images his life has seen and the pains that he has experienced, making this a great album. He takes control and leads the listener down open roads, reminding them that even as the sun sets, it rises again. The best illustration of this is "Songbird," which definitely brings to mind James Taylor.

As for my favorite song, it has to be "Sara Jane" (No, it's not about the weed.). It is a song for Lucca's sister who is the only one who can cheer him up when he's down and make everything all right. Its upbeat rhythm and fun lyrics remind some of us how lucky we are to have a cool sister like that.

I have to thank Tony Lucca for all what he has done. He has brought spirit and soul back to the world of singer/songwriters and for this Canyon Songs unquestionably needs to be added to the music library. He has lived life outside of the walls of the Disney Channel and has put his blood, sweat, and tears into this disc. One only has to listen to understand and catch what Lucca is all about. He sums it up by saying, "I think that when what you aspire to do is of a timeless, classic nature, it will inevitably outlast the trends and the uncertainty of whatever business you're in." Brother, you sure did that here. And all without getting into a car wreck and having his jaw wired shut.

HAPPY FEET

Written by Jámon Y. Huevos

Since audiences flipped over the documentary March of the Penguins (2005), there have been more penguins in the media than you can shake a seal club at. Because of this penguin mania, it was inevitable we would get a fully animated production in the form of Happy Feet.

Penguins have a heart song. This is their personal ad that helps them find a mate, keep warm in the scary winter, and express their individuality. Sadly, Mumble (Elijah Wood – and you will be amazed by how much that fuzzy penguin really looks and acts like Elijah Wood), is born devoid of a heart song. The kid can dance, though. Too bad dancing is completely frowned upon. Mumble journeys away from the flock and runs into a group of wild and crazy penguins who know how to have a wild and crazy time. This is exactly when the film turns dark, dark, dark.

This darkness occurs in all exceptional animated features (have we forgotten the gunshots and their targets in 1942’s Bambi?). “Happy Feet” is absolutely about finding your so-called heart song, but it is also about environmental disaster, human encroachment, border issues, homosexuality (discussed as arguments about the immorality of being different), and fighting the power. All these issues are deftly handled with humor and (usually) even-handedness. It isn’t hard, though, to see which side of the political fence the filmmakers lean on. If your six-year-old notices the political innuendoes, then, dang it, pat her on the noggin’ and be proud of your genius offspring.

What makes the movie a great work are the direction and animation. The chase scenes are so well imagined that young children are going to be scared. Those scenes are as close to being on a roller coaster as one can get. The incredible animation is revealed slowly but surely, building and building as the scenes unfold. Because of this, the initial reaction is that the animation is okay, but two-thirds of the way through the movie you will be asking yourself if the humans are animated or filmed (filmed). Finding the live-action segments to be this confusing is an amazing feeling. How do you get cartoon penguins (and I mean these are obviously cartoon penguins) seem so alive next to real humans? Answer: ridiculously well crafted animation. You may, however, tire of the if-a-blue-penguin-eye-fills-the-screen-you-should-feel-melancholy shot.

There are tons of popular songs in the movie (sitting through the music credits takes as long as sitting through Woodstock). Unfortunately, those songs are jim-jammed into any available moment without a whole lot of attention to efficacy or theme. I always prefer hearing original songs, and can only think of two examples of movies that used popular music to intelligent effect: Moulin Rouge (2001) and (yep, no joke) Muppets in Space (1999 - check it out if this bothers you).

The voice acting is mostly great. Robin Williams is excellent as two very different penguins. Hugh Jackman, on the other hand, gives the worst Elvis impersonation since my uncle’s parole hearing. The film is about penguins; penguins that sing and dance; penguins that sing and dance and are really fuzzy and adorable. It’s a no-brainer; get your children to Happy Feet.