THE REEL WORLD

THE ONLY FILM AND TV NEWSLETTER WITH NO CRITERIA OR METHOD!

Issue 4 –
May 2009

Hey there, readers!

Talking toasters, boogie men, marningritas and muppets...just a few things that
appear in this month’s issue. We introduce a new feature of book vs. film, put one
of my favourite actors in the Spotlight and introduce you to a new writer for The
Reel World!

Keep it Reel!

Films of the Month STAFF

• The Brave Little Toaster Catherine Benham – clerical assistant,

• Belleville Rendez-Vous rabid film fan. I like to watch pretty
much anything and share my
thoughts with anyone that will
Spotlight - Bill Paxton listen.
• The Man
Rob Potter – A fellow film fan who
• The Roles happened to get in contact with me
to see if he could write a piece for
TV Treasury the newsletter.

• The "Parts"
• "Elephant" Parts

Page vs. Screen CONTACT ME...

• American Psycho catherine@therealworlduk.com

www.thereelworlduk.com

Delve into DVD Suggestions, comments...all are

• The Nightmare Before Christmas welcome!

• Muppets From Space

 FILMS OF THE MONTH

You’re pretty safe with Disney films. Fun songs,

usually a relationship involved and a happy ending. But in
1987, you had The Brave Little Toaster. When it was made it
went to the Sundance Film Festival where it was a hit but still
failed to find a distributor. Later, Disney picked it up and
showed it on their channel but were quick to disown it when
they realised it wasn’t exactly their ‘thing’. But why, you ask?
What’s so different about this animation?
On the surface, BLT is a Homeward Bound for
household appliances. Toaster leads her friends on an
adventure to the big city to find their master when they figure
he’s not coming back to collect them. What ensues is a
journey filled with songs and peril…like most Disney movies. I
was a big fan of this film when I was a kid but it wasn’t until I
watched it again recently that I realised what a controversial
and haunting film it really is. As with most animations, there
are jokes and nods to things that only adults would get but
there’s something deeper at work here.
There are some not so subtle drug references thrown
in and a particularly daunting nightmare that the toaster has
featuring an all too menacing clown (I realise now it’s WARNING!
probably down to this film that I don’t really like clowns). This piece is
However, two parts really stand out for me in not belonging analytical and may
to a kids film. The first is quite early on when Toaster meets a ruin a first time
viewing
flower that becomes attached to its reflection on Toaster. She experience.
pushes it away and then makes a run from its affection. The
flower then dies from her rejection. It’s a really random
moment, even the animation is slightly more sophisticated
and mature for that shot. The whole film is really about Director: Jerry Rees
rejection and the different ways of handling it and this was
Writer: Thomas M. Disch (based on his
almost a representation of suicide!
The other part is at the end in the scrap yard. The book)
magnet would be considered the main villain of the film as its
sole purpose is to destroy and it has no emotion. There’s a Cast-
song during this scene called ‘Worthless’ (one of the Toaster Deanna Oliver
highlights) and on closer inspection, can be viewed as a
scathing look at social minorities and stereotypes e.g. the Lampy Timothy Stack
celebrity, elderly etc. Once again, this song demonstrates how Kirby Thurl Ravenscroft
certain people feel rejected or let down by their community. Radio Jon Lovitz
Further to the rejection theme is the idea of old vs.
new. There is one scene that focuses on a showdown
between the new technology against our traditional
appliances but at the same time mocking itself.
Most people I know that have seen this film when
they were younger found it quite sinister, it’s usually between
the clown, the air conditioner unit or the giant magnet. “North by North-West. Look
What first appears to be a fun, adventure film is out for low-flying aircraft.”
actually quite a dark and depressing look at a world that
seems to be full of disappointments. If you have already seen
the film a long time ago, I urge you to watch it again with an - Radio
older pair of eyes. If you have never had the pleasure, please
check it out! It’s a wonderful film.
 FILMS OF THE MONTH

Now it may surprise you that there are animated films out
there, somewhere hiding in the corner of non mainstream cinema,
that do not come from the walking, fuzzy, child loving Pixar monolith
that rules the animation world with an iron fist. Yes, before the days
of Monster's Inc and Finding Nemo, there was animation that wasn't
full blown CGI, where people didn't strive for realism, more an artistic
style that matched their stories and had enough charm to fill a
hundred Buzz Lightyear's. I'm talking of days of wonder, excitement
and unpredictability. I'm talking of the days of Belleville Rendez-vous.
Now lets get the hard, indigestible cold lumps of unfamiliarity
out the ways before I brainwash you with praise about this film. First
off, it's almost completely dialogue free choosing instead to fill the
film with sounds and noises that do more to define the characters
than pages and pages of monologuing. Secondly, half of the dialogue
that is spoken is in French. Lastly, the film only has about 8 characters,
of which about 4 are named, the main character being totally
obsessed with bikes. Ok, so the word ‘unconventional’ hardly does
the film justice but never fear, the end result is both fascinating and
brilliant.
The story revolves around Champion, a kid who relentlessly
trains for the Tour de France with the help of his loyal grandma and
overweight dog Bruno. During the final stages of the race, Champion
and some of his fellow bikers are kidnapped and it's up to Bruno and
the grandma to save him from the shadowy figures of Belleville
Rendez-Vous (A surreal impression of 1930s-1950s Manhattan).
Now, if an old old woman and a ridiculously fat dog sound
like unlikely heroes then you're probably right but it's the way they're
Director: Sylvain Chomet depictured that will win your heart over. In one fantastic scene, the
Writer: Sylvain Chomet grandma chases a ship across the ocean in a pedalo, it's as hilarious as
it is heartwarming. Along the journey, the couple will also meet a
variety of strange and wonderful people such as a trio of women that
Cast- love to eat toads and some mafia types that have backs the size of
Beatrice Bonifassi wardrobes.
Lina Boudreau But I can already hear you asking how the film works if there
Jean-Claude Donda is practically no dialogue? Well, it simply works as a double whammy
of sound and animation. The way each character is drawn instantly
triggers certain emotions relevant to that character, the shadowy CIA-
a-like goons in the black glasses, the horrendously fat women of
Belleville and their stick thin husbands. Every aspect of the personality
is somehow manifested in their drawing and then exaggerated all the
way up to 11.
The sound is also essential in providing not only crucial
characterization but hilarity also. Around 50% of what the grandma
comes out with is her 1-2 of her whistle and this can pretty much be
used to supply all the relevant emotion needed. It's storytelling boiled
down to it's simplest form and is used magically throughout.
Do not however let the tag of 'Animation' fool you. This film
is solely meant for adults although it doesn't feature any sex and
violence. It is so jam packed with satire that blink and you may miss a
ridiculously fat American kid but even if you look past that, Belleville
Rendez-vous is a delight on so many levels. It's not simply a matter of
if it will win you over, rather than when.

WORDS BY ROBERT POTTER

 SPOTLIGHT

You may not know the name but I would guarantee that
the majority of movie-goers will have seen him in at least one film.
He’s a great character actor although often relegated to minor
characters.
He started his career working with Roger Corman as a crew
member, helping to create sets. Corman noticed his hard-working
attitude and erratic charisma and introduced him to another of his
acquaintances, James Cameron. This meeting would prove to be
one of the most important in his career as Paxton and Cameron
would collaborate on no less than 5 films together. He had a brief
appearance in Terminator, heard Rose’s story about the Titanic and
even went on a real expedition to the Titanic wreck with Cameron
in Ghosts of the Abyss. However, it is his portrayal of Private
Hudson in the excellent Aliens, that he is often most recognised for.
This is a fine example of how amazing Bill can be when he is given Born: William Archibald Paxton
free rein of the character and can really immerse himself in the
situation. He’s such a worthless character for the majority of the Date of Birth: 17th May 1955
film but he has some cracking lines and you just have to feel sorry
for the guy. He followed this up with the equally brilliant role of Place of Birth: Fort Worth, Texas
Severen in vampire movie Near Dark. Nearly lost to the world due
to its ultimate failure at the box office, this movie reunites Bill, Height: 5’11”
Lance Henriksen and Janette Goldstein from Aliens and is another
wildly out of control character. First Film: Crazy Mama
I have found that Bill often gets given roles that most
people could play. His turns in blockbusters such as Twister, Mighty Most Known For: Hudson in Aliens,
Joe Young and Tombstone are good but don’t really demonstrate being confused with Bill Pullman
his individual ability to embrace a role and make it truly
memorable. Roles such as Severen I couldn’t imagine anyone else
playing (which is partly why I’m so concerned about a Near Dark
remake!). When Bill gets a character such as that, it really is As well as acting, Bill dabbled in music
something to behold. in the 80’s with his band Martini Ranch. Their
He has however proven his worth as a leading man in the album Holy Cow is a great listen if you can get
more independent features. A Simple Plan is a fine example of his hold of it with some quirky tunes. The music
more subtle acting skills. The relationship between his character video for Reach also features appearances
and Billy Bob Thornton’s character is so understated and tender, it from Kathryn Bigalow (Near Dark director),
really adds to the climax. Henriksen and Goldstein.
He’s always had an interest in directing, starting young Right now he is starring in the HBO
when he directed a music video and has progressed to films in show, Big Love about Mormon society and
recent years. His directorial debut was horror Frailty which is a polygamy. It is on its third season and is still
fantastically sinister movie. Very little gore, intense performances very popular. I enjoyed the first season but it
and a confident approach to the filming. You wouldn’t think it was seems that the UK never picked the second
someone’s first attempt at direction. I’d also recommend listening season up but it is still available on DVD.
to any of his commentary tracks as they are fun and informative,
especially the interaction between everyone on the Aliens track.
 THE TOP 1
5
RECOMMENDED Hudson is undoubtedly my favourite Bill
character and one of my favourite characters

PERFORMANCES ever. He is so irritating but such a true to life

These are just my choices, not what I would call his best
performances. Have I missed one of your favourites? Let
me know and I’ll add it to next month’s issue!
character. Going from cocky to cowardly in the
space of a few minutes, he has some classic
lines and brings so much energy to the film. It
may take a few views to like him though.
-Aliens

One of the coolest

vampires around,
Severen is a no-
nonsense guy. A
vicious attitude and

3
no time for anyone
outside the family.
He acts as big
brother but isn’t
One of Bill’s more obscure roles, Coconut Pete
exactly a great role
is an absolute joy to behold. Owner of a
model. He has a
pleasure island of sorts, he is a washed up
fantastic cowboy
Jimmy Buffet-type that no-one has ever really
look and is a real
heard of. A good soul if a little worse for wear

2
rebel causing trouble
from the drug use of days passed. He cares
wherever and
about his staff and enjoys a good song and
whenever he can.
some games. -Club Dread
-Near Dark

5
Simon is probably one of the sleaziest characters
Not a huge role but still a good one, Jerry
that Bill has played but you just have to feel
Lambert is a cop with an attitude but a good
sorry for the guy. He doesn’t really have a clue
sense of humour and commitment to his team.
what he is getting himself into and can’t handle
He has a good relationship with his partner
any of it. He’s so bumbling and pathetic but
although they constantly fight. Even though he
absolutely hilarious. In a film full of great
isn’t in it for long, he makes his presence known.
material already, he is a definite highlight.
-Predator 2
-True Lies
 TV TREASURY
THIS MONTH WE’RE
LOOKING AT...
Something a little different this month. Rather than look
at an actual series, I thought I’d share with you a series of
projects that can’t be classed as movies or TV.
In 1976, music videos didn’t really go beyond
people standing around singing into a microphone.
Michael Nesmith, however, saw the potential in
developing the idea to help promote the songs. For his
song ‘Rio’ he teamed up with friend and ad director
William Dear to create a 7-minute video. This went
around Europe and Rio ended up getting quite high in the
UK charts. While over here, Nesmith noticed the chart
shows and came up with the idea of music television (he
would later be one of the key individuals in developing
MTV). After Nesmith’s mother passed away, he was left
half of her estate (she was the inventor of liquid paper)
and was able to use some of this money to focus on
another project. He made a 60 minute ‘video album’
called ‘”Elephant” Parts’ which consisted of music videos
(including Rio) and comedy sketches. Nothing like this had
ever been done before (and in all honesty, since) and was
a big success. It was nominated for the first Music Video
Grammy in 1981 which it subsequently won. It is
considered one of the most important things to happen in
the history of music videos.
With the success of this, Nesmith later went on
to develop it into a TV series known as ‘Television Parts’. It
featured up and coming talent such as Jerry Seinfeld,
Whoopie Goldberg and Gary Shandling and had some
great comedy in its 30 minute time slot but was
sadly very short lived (Incidentally: Micky Dolenz
directed an episode or two but these never made it
to air). It has never been made available on VHS as a
whole and the only parts I have seen are from what
Nesmith’s website (www.videoranch.com) has made
available. However, 2 ‘specials’ were released as a
result of its popularity. There is ‘Home Companion’
which is available on DVD. This consists mainly of
Nesmith’s material from Television Parts including
some hilarious sketches as well as 4 songs all
performed by himself ranging from the ridiculous
“Chow Mein and Bowling” to the more touching
tribute to Fred, Ginger and The Beatles “I’ll
Remember You”. This has a short running time at 40-
minutes but the material is packed in there. The
other release is the bizarrely titled “Dr. Duck’s Super
Secret All-Purpose Sauce” which is composed mainly
of non-Nesmith clips featuring some of the above
great comedy in its 30 minute time slot but was sadly very
short lived (Incidentally: Micky Dolenz directed an episode
or two but these never made it to air). It has never been
made available on VHS as a whole and the only parts I
have seen are from what Nesmith’s website
(www.videoranch.com) has made available. However, 2
‘specials’ were released as a result of its popularity. There
is ‘Home Companion’ which is available on DVD. This
consists mainly of Nesmith’s material from Television
Parts including some hilarious sketches as well as 4 songs
all performed by himself ranging from the ridiculous
“Chow Mein and Bowling” to the more touching tribute to
Fred, Ginger and The Beatles “I’ll Remember You”. This
has a short running time at 40-minutes but the material is
packed in there. The other release is the bizarrely titled
“Dr. Duck’s Super Secret All-Purpose Sauce” which is
composed mainly of non-Nesmith clips featuring some of
the above mentioned people. Sadly, this is only available
on VHS at present so I have not seen it myself. (If you
have and would like to submit your own review, drop us
an e-mail!).
The comedy can be compared to the likes of
Monty Python, Kids in the Hall or SNL. It is very silly but in
a clever way, it’s well thought out and written and the
performers (or players as they are credited) do a
wonderful job. Nesmith has always had a quirky sense of
humour and these projects allow him to really showcase
that along with the other writers. All the songs can be
found on various Nesmith albums. Most of the Elephant
Parts content is from Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma with
the exception of Rio which is from From A Radio Engine to
the Photon Wing. The songs from Home Companion can
be found on The Newer Stuff.
If this is what MTV would have ended up being
like, I would watch nothing else!
 FOCUS EPISODE
This is the first of the projects and is considered the
best by most. It runs at a little over 60 minutes, features 6
songs and a 36 sketches varying in length.
It opens with a parody of Nesmith’s hit ‘Joanne’
which sets the tone for the whole piece, random and totally
silly. This leads into a cool introduction with Michael
addressing the audience and then discussing the issue of
gasoline prices. Ironically, this issue has come full circle and
is still relevant today.
There are stand-alone sketches and then some
recurring sketches. We’ll look at the highlights of stand-
alone ones first.
There’s the Super Marine which is an hilarious take
on how the navy perceived homosexuality and the beginning
of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ campaign. Foundation for the
Tragically Hip is a funny take on how adults perceive the
younger generation. It also made the basis for a band of the
same name. Elvis Drugs is a sketch which Nesmith admits
was quite near the knuckle but he’s of the thought that if
you’re going to do drugs, you can’t be immune to the
criticism. Rock n’ Roll Hospital is one of my favourites, the
example of Bee Gees disease is just hysterical. The Mariachi
Translator is an infinitely quotable sketch that makes no
sense but is excellent. Flying Lessons is another of my
favourites, it’s so goofy and unexpected that it has to make
you laugh. Wrong Apartment Bogart is a brilliant parody of
old film noir movies where the detective reveals the whole
plot, Agatha Christie style. Finally, possibly the most popular
sketch in the piece is the Marningrita sketch. It coins this
phrase and also Cof o’ Cuppee, the sketch actually goes on
for several seconds longer than it should have as Michael
couldn’t light the pad with the cigarette leading to some
hilarious and completely random improvising.
Of the recurring sketches, one of the highlights for
me is the useless lounge singer who can’t get anything right.
There’s also the Pirate Alphabet and other crazy scenes ‘just
t
“Elephant”
Parts
to prove a point!’.
The songs are all great. ‘Crusin’ is probably the
most famous and also possibly the first rap song to be sung
by a Caucasian! ‘Tonite’ is Nesmith’s take on working in
television and has some cool visual effects too. ‘Rio’ is a
fine demonstration of early music video production. It
incorporates dancing (choreographed and performed by
Nancy Gregory), humour, costume changes and is a great
tune. Although it isn’t mentioned in the credits, the song
‘Dance’ also features minus a music video.
The DVD was originally released back in 1998 and
featured a commentary track by Michael Nesmith. I haven’t
had the fortune to listen to it but apparently it was just as
random as the film itself and didn’t actually reference
anything that appeared in screen at all! Elephant Parts was
re-released on DVD and featured a brand new commentary
track which is entertaining and this time informative also.
It’s impressive that this has hardly dated, the
comedy is just as sharp and relevant and the fashions don’t
really make much of a difference to the piece as a whole.
All the people involved in this would later take part in
Television Parts but this is where they are really all on top
form. It really does need to be seen to be believed and I
know I have been a bit vague in the review but I don’t want
to give away any of the gags! The DVD isn’t widely available
and is best purchased from Videoranch direct.
 FROM PAGE TO SCREEN
This is the first of what I hope will be a semi-regular feature, taking
place of our genre focus this month. More and more, Hollywood is
looking to literature for film ideas even though it is the general
consensus that they can never match the magic of the book. I have
decided to look at some books that have been made into films and
compare the two to see if the world would have been better off
without an adaptation.
My first analysis is on Brett Easton Ellis’ book, American
Psycho.

As would be expected, the book goes into
much more detail surrounding Patrick Bateman. We
focus more on his co-workers and (more importantly)
his family. We get introduced to his brother Sean (main
character of Rules of Attraction) and his days at school.
This gives a bit more of a solid background to Bateman,
makes him less ethereal. It is written in first person
which is incredibly effective, it makes it more amusing
and a lot more horrific. It allows you to really get inside
the head of a serial killer. What I found most interesting
was that you understand things the same as him, if he
mis-hears something, you mis-hear it too. Some
chapters end in the middle of a thought as he loses
consciousness. It intensifies the possibility of his insanity
and amazingly makes you feel bad for him at times.
There’s a fantastic moment near the end when he really
begins to lose his grip on reality where the prose
changes mid-sentence from first person to third. It’s a
real jolt to the reader and shows how unstable Bateman
really is.
One thing I particularly noticed about the book
was the degree of violence. It’s obvious that it’s going to
be graphic but I have never read anything quite like it.
Having it told in first person really accentuates it, forces
you to notice every little detail and more horrifically,
take pleasure in it just as Bateman does. It’s so detailed
because he has a morbid fascination in what he does.
Some of the torture scenes last a whole chapter and are
really drawn out and then the next chapter will be more
light-hearted.
One brilliant part of the book that had to be
omitted from the film are the chapters devoted solely to
Bateman’s music addiction. There will be a whole
chapter dedicated to the history of Genesis or Huey
Lewis and the News which totally changes the tempo
and gives Bateman a more human quality.
I am a big fan of this film, I think it handled the
material brilliantly. The book begged to be put on the
screen with such a complex character but the actual
content could have been severely mishandled. Instead of
focusing on it more as a horror, it was made more as a
thriller, a character piece. Surprisingly, the gore is kept to
a minimum and a lot of the violence is only suggested at
or done out of shot. Several elements were left out but it
doesn’t impede the plot. I think the main benefit the film
had was having Christian Bale in the lead role. He plays
Bateman on so many levels that it’s just a whirlwind, you
don’t know what to expect from him next. He allows you
to feel sorry for him and then he’ll totally repulse you
only to suck you in again a few moments later. The
ending is a highlight for me, when he totally loses
control, it’s such an intense performance that it just blew
my mind. Unfortunately, a lot of Bateman’s background
was lost in the transfer but I think it actually works with
the different approach, Bateman becomes a much more
detached character, easier to observe. There are also
some moments that are absolutely hilarious! You
wouldn’t think it but they managed to convey a lot of the
dark humour from the book very well on screen with
Bateman’s confusion and disconnection from everything
around him.
I like that they kept it in first person, that there
is a narration so as not to complicate reality and
imagination. Just like Patrick, we aren’t entirely sure
what is actually happening and we never do find out, it’s
left to the audience to make their own assumptions.
I’m not sure why some of the characters names
were changed in the translation as it doesn’t make any
difference.
It’s easier to remember that it is set in the 80’s
with the film because of the props and this allows you to
focus a little more on the yuppie culture aspect too.

The Verdict: A draw. The two mediums are wildly different and both need to be experienced. The book is one of the best
I have read but I can honestly say I don’t think I could have gotten through the whole thing had I not seen the film first, it
really is quite heavy going at times but well worth reading for its ingenuity. If I really, really had to choose, it would
probably be book.
 DELVE INTO
This month’s DVD’s are:

 The Nightmare Before Christmas (2-Disc Special Edition)

 Muppets From Space

The Nightmare Before Christmas has had its fair share of

DVD releases but this is the best so far. Now a two-disc set in
includes a brand new commentary track and a making of.
Previously, there had been a commentary with just
director Henry Selick on the track. While interesting enough, a lot
of people felt that Tim Burton should have been involved with
the yak-track and now their wishes have been granted. But not
only do we have the edition of Burton but composer
extraordinaire, Danny Elfman as well. Nightmare is as much his
film as Burton’s as it is really his music and his vocals for Jack
Skellington that make the film. But was it worth it? They are both
enlightening and it’s nice to get background to where ideas and
characters came from which is something Selick could never
provide. It also takes a closer look at the song development
which is good but I think the voice cast are quite neglected.
This also goes for the making-of. It goes into a lot of
interesting detail of the production, design and animation but
nothing after that like the recording or scoring which would have
been nice. It was also filmed at the time of making.
An extra you might think to skip past is actually really
interesting and that is the Holiday Mansion feature. In Disney,
there is an attraction known as the Haunted Mansion and around
the Christmas season it gets transformed into a Nightmare Before
Christmas theme and the extra gives you a tour and also goes
behind the scenes on how they made it which is interesting.
Title: The Nightmare Before Christmas My favourite extra was also included in the previous
edition, the Tim Burton short, Vincent. It’s a wonderfully sinister
Director: Henry Selick short film about a young boy who wants to be Vincent Price
(narrated with great effect by the man himself). It has the very
Cast: Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman, Catherine gothic style that Burton brings to his films now and shows that he
O’Hara, Ken Page was always going to be a quirky but talented director. The other
short, Frankenweenie, is not as good and feels a little more
Format: DVD amateurish but is still good to have on this edition.
The DVD also includes various galleries of sketches and
Extras: Commentary, shorts, making-of, production photos which are interesting but seem to dominate
galleries much of the second disc which is a shame. There is also a feature
which has Christopher Lee (also a Burton alumni) reading the
Other: Subtitles original story.
I’ve said before that I am not a Blu-Ray fan BUT I will say
Region: Region 2 (also available in Region 1) that if you can get this in Hi-Def then I would recommend it. This
is a film that really pops, it’s so clear and bright that I feel it is one
of the few that will really benefit from a Blu-Ray presentation.
 DELVE INTO

The Muppets are a favourite of a lot of people but

they took an hiatus during the 80’s and came back with
some great movies in the 90’s. This isn’t the best of the
bunch but it is still great fun and focuses more on newer
characters or the often neglected. Instead of Kermit
taking the lead, it is Gonzo and side-kick Rizzo who are the
focus.

This was one of the first DVD’s I ever owned. Yes,

Title: Muppets From Space
Director:
Cast: The Muppets, Jeffrey Tambor
Format: DVD
Extras: Commentary, outtakes, music video
Other:
Region: Region 1 (also available in Region 2)
it’s that old and it has never been re-released with any
other extras. To be honest, there probably aren’t any
extras to be added. However, I had to include it in the
newsletter simply because it has one of my favourite
commentary tracks on a DVD ever.
But before that, we have a music video which is
fairly standard, nothing hugely interesting there. There
are also some outtakes which are amusing featuring both
the human and muppet cast messing up their lines or
getting into trouble.
Back to the commentary, then. It features the
director, Kermit the Frog, Rizzo the Rat and Gonzo. Yeah,
you heard me, a Muppet commentary! It’s a lot of fun but
surprisingly it is quite informative too. It was also the first
time I saw the commentators while watching the movie as
they are represented at the bottom of the screen in
shadow as if they were in a cinema watching the movie
with us. Kids and adults alike will enjoy it as there a jokes
for all ages, just like the film really. One problem with
doing the commentary like this though is that there is
rarely a mention of the actually Muppet talent as the
Muppets wouldn’t think to acknowledge it. There are
some amusing references over the credits but that is all. I
think this is a shame because so much physical effort goes
into making these films and then they don’t get any
recognition for it. Maybe, in the future, they could have
two commentaries, one featuring the Muppet actors such
as Frank Oz and David Goelz.
You should be able to find this for a reasonable
price as it’s so old so I would highly recommend giving it a
looksee purely for the inventive and original commentary.
 ...AND THE REST

MATCH THE BILL PAXTON QUOTE TO THE CHARACTER

1. “I’m nothing. I’m navel lint!” a) Severen – Near Dark

2. “Do you realise it’s snowing in my
room godammit!?” b) Hudson – Aliens

Answers: 1c, 2f, 3a, 4b, 5e, 6g, 7d

3. “It’s finger lickin’ good!”
4. “We’re on an express elevator to hell. c) Simon – True Lies
Goin’ down!” d) Morgan Earp – Tombstone
5. “You work for the American Dream,
you don’t steal it.” e) Hank Mitchell – A Simple Plan
6. “You think Eddie Money has to put
f) Chet Donnelly – Weird Science
up with this shit!?”
7. “Remember what I said about people g) Coconut Pete – Club Dread
seein’ a bright light before they die? It
ain’t true, I can’t see a damn thing.”

Well, that’s all for this month. Join me in

June when we analyse whether a remake
is necessary to a classic film, we take a
look at a much loved western series and
The Brave Little Toaster is available
have more films of the month!
on DVD but sadly does not come
with any extras as of yet. Want to see something featured in an
upcoming issue, drop me an e-mail. There
Belleville Rendez-Vous is also
is no method to my madness so whether
available.
the topic is old or new, obscure or well-
known, it doesn’t matter!

catherine.@thereelworlduk.com

www.thereelworlduk.com