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LexLutherthe2nd
Reviews
Reception to Follow (1995)
A Kentucky Classic!
It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since this film debuted. It seems like only yesterday. While much of this was shot in Jeffersonville, Indiana, the movie takes place in Kentucky and some scenes were shot in Lexington and Louisville. Charles Ellis plays our hero, Morgan, who's band has just broken up. To relax, he takes a bath during his best friend's wedding reception. Wedding guests drift in and out of the bathroom and interact with him. Some are shocked to see him lying buck naked in the tub, while others are open to the idea. Among the initially shocked, is Katherine who Morgan met years earlier. I know it sounds like the plot to a SEINFELD episode, doesn't it? Well, the movie is not only funny, but romantic as well. Katherine ends up joining Morgan in the tub and -yadda yadda yadda- the two become romantically involved. Okay, maybe there was no yadda in the tub, just great conversation and plenty of tasteful nudity. It all takes place in a single afternoon, thus the tag line: "Some of the best romances only last a day." It also has some cool music and a wonderful supporting cast. I wish they'd issue a tenth anniversary DVD as this movie is nearly impossible to find now. In the meantime, I'll take a relaxing bath and wish for the best. Could you bring me back some champagne?
The Grandmother (1970)
They don't make 'em like this anymore
THE GRANDMOTHER is the kind of experimental film that could have only came out of the early 70s. Nowadays it would be considered too weird for general audiences. Thusly, Lynch would probably have a difficult time getting funding for it. For one thing, you can't show the parents abusing the kid merely because he wets the bed. No one would let their kid participate. Lynch would probably be told to put some dialog in the movie rather than have the main characters bark at each other. "You want me to crawl on the floor and say what?" the actors would say, "Can I win a prize?" The jumps from animation to live action would probably be discouraged, too since that pulls people out of the reality . So experimental films such as this are rare these days. They are also a refreshing alternative to "reality" TV.
As someone else pointed out, THE GRANDMOTHER could easily be considered a prequel to ERASERHEAD. The boy here could easily be the later film's Henry in his younger years. I like the way Lynch painted his set black, too. It gives the setting an other worldly feel. ERASERHEAD was described by Lynch as " a dream of dark and troubling things". THE GRANDMOTHER could be called " a dream of a dark and troubling place." Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like unusual films, it's a must see.
Zombie Planet (2004)
The coolest zombie movie ever!
I'm sure glad I didn't allow the naysayers from Lexington to discourage me from seeing this movie. The people from Lexington should be proud this movie was shot in their back yard. One of the things I look for in a saga such as this are heroes and villains. ZOMBIE PLANET, like the BATMAN series, has cool heroes and even cooler villains. My favorite hero: Dr. Warren played by Christopher Rose. He's the kind of hero we can all relate to. Favorite villain: Stiletto. Jon Shelton's over the top performance reminds one of a cross between Caesar Romero's Joker and Jack Nicholson's. Of course, the main villain and hero are both dynamic characters. Frank Farhat as our hero Kane has the perfect nemesis in Adam played by Matt Perry. I can't wait to see them clash in the sequel. Of course, hottest villain of all is Mari Stamper as Jamaica. I can't wait to see what she does to Kane in the sequel! Karl Lindstrom as Cowboy Frank plays the kind of character who could go either way. And who can blame him when the bad guys have it so much better than the good guys do. Rebecca Minton also turns in a sympathetic performance as Frank's suffering wife, Julie. Someone criticized her performance, but I say it's believable because Julie's emotional growth would have been stunted by such tragic events at such a young age. Each character is well portrayed by the actors. There are many subplots that are jammed into the film's two hours and I think this may overwhelm some viewers. But if you stick with it, ZOMBIE PLANET is a well acted and imaginatively produced film filled with interesting characters.Great makeup work, too! Since this is an independent film, I'm willing to overlook a few technical flaws that often go with the territory. Viva la Zombie Planet!