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Reviews
Joy of Sex (1984)
A typical teen sex flick that is shallow on laughs and devoid of sex.
If one sat down to watch a movie called "The Joy of Sex", you'd at least think there were some steamy sex sequences therein. Surprisingly, that is the main thing that's missing from the film. Look quick and you may catch one topless girl in a mob running by toward the end of the picture, the film's sole nude sequence. The sex scenes we do see are obscured from view half the time and most of which is left up to imagination. And surprisingly the film still bares an "R" rating, primarily for language and content. But what would be considered as the naughty sexual content in this film is no more risque that what I've seen in other PG and PG-13 rated films currently in the theater and in new release at the video store. Boy the times have changed. Suddenly in the late 90's and the new millennium we can almost get away with just about any innuendos these days.
Not too many highlights in the film. The laughs are few and far between. The film features the attractive Colleen Camp who is squandered in this opportunity. She receives far little film time as an undercover cop masquerading as the new hot girl in class at the high school where the film is based. Robert Prescott ("Bachelor Party" and "Real Genius") has a few humorous moments as a class clown, but not enough. The only real bright spot of the film is Christopher Lloyd as Coach Hindenberg. Lloyd's deadpan delivery never fails to win a laugh or two, but Lloyd can't support what is an unremarkable cast and a less than average teen sex comedy. The film is also known as "National Lampoon's: The Joy of Sex." Save you money and time. Rent "Animal House" instead.
Getting It On (1983)
A terrible amateur comedy that is devoid of laughter, as well as racy sex.
GETTING IT ON bills itself as a typical promiscuous sex comedy and fails miserably. It is a painfully amateur production with a cast of no-names that tend to make a viewer cringe every time they open their mouths. The cast is lead by Martin Yost, who plays Alex, a teen-age Peeping Tom who decides to turn his perverted pastime into a money-making scheme. His father blindly agrees to give his son the $4000 to start a security surveillance business, which Alex can then use as an excuse to spy on other people, presumably "in the act". The father is unbelievably naive. It would have helped if the father was more suspicious of what his son was doing with all this expensive equipment. As for the "peep" sequences, they are far and few in the film and lack imagination for what the film is trying to advertise. No new ground is broken here.
There is no drive to the film. It is dull and the actors just seem to be going through the motions. That and the director tries to use two different sequences in which an actor pulls a gun on someone else as a surprise comedic effect, which is a lousy attempt at cheap laughs. The film weighs in at about 90 minutes, and by 90 minutes it's too long! Don't bother with this one. Try PORKY'S or MISCHIEF instead.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Not faithful to the Crichton book, the film is a fair at best action movie.
Steven Spielberg had so much fun directing JURASSIC PARK, he felt eager to film a sequel to the hit 1993 blockbuster. Unfortunately, JURASSIC PARK- THE LOST WORLD is a fair to mediocre outing at best. Instead of an awe-inspiring, suspense filled action picture like its predecessor, the movie-going audience is given nothing more than a superior filmed B-grade monster movie. Spielberg deviated heavily from the Michael Crichton novel, THE LOST WORLD, in which the story and characters are more engaging. It was nice to see one of the lines from the novel make it into the film: "These animals have no rights! They're product. We've made them. We patent them. We own them." The film starts out along similar lines with the second island's discovery, and the rescue operation, but that's where the parallels with the novel end. The antagonist of the first film and both novels, Louis Dodgson- head of a rival organization, is replaced in the new film by John Hammond's nephew Ludlow, the new head of InGen, played by Arliss Howard. Howard's performance is very unremarkable and is at times a blowhard.
Jeff Goldblum returns to reprise his role as Ian Malcolm. Goldblum is a trained actor in the Meisner Method and his spontaneity is impeccable. However from film to film, Jeff Goldblum tends to play himself. I wish I could see a bit more diversity with his roles from film to film. Still, Goldblum turns in a good performance. Pete Postlethwaite is wasted in this film. He is an excellent actor with a classic background and his portrayal of Rolland, the "White Hunter", is the bright spot of the film. Unfortunately, most of Postlethwaite's scenes are left on the cutting room floor. Vince Vaughn is pretty much scenery. He appears for half the movie and then disappears without a trace. His presence is not necessary to the advancement of the plot and the film can probably get by without him. He's in it, but he has nothing to do except be chased by dinosaurs.
This brings me to the major disappointment I have with THE LOST WORLD. The majority of the film is spent watching the hapless victims running and screaming from the rampaging T-Rex or the Raptors. Spielberg has the nerve to include several ridiculous close-ups of people shrieking in terror rather unconvincingly, as they are about to become victims of the Rex. The action and thrills get worn out toward the end, there are too many ridiculous effects gags not to mention plot holes. What exactly caused the massacre on board the cargo ship? There is a severed hand hanging from the steering wheel on the bridge. How did that get there? The T-Rex certainly couldn't have fit in there without wrecking the cabin.
The film does have a few bright spots. It is beautifully shot by Januz Kaminski. The scene involving Peter Stormare and the "Compys" is chilling as well as the shot of the Raptors advancing through the tall grass. And as always John Williams' score is lively and full of emotion. My recommendation is to read the book. The book is much more entertaining and has more surprises than the film. THE LOST WORLD just doesn't live up to the hype and the magic that the original generated.