Seven Faces of Dr. Lao
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Movie Reviews of Seven Faces of Dr. Lao
Movie Review: DR. LAO TRICKS YOU INTO REALIZING YOURSELVES
Summary: 5 Stars
Tony Randall carries the movie of course. This is a vehicle for him to display many sides of his talent: with seven different characters to go about that is quite a load to carry plus some linguistic fluency in various accent. The ingenious direction of George Pal is also to be lauded. The scene where the termegan wife was looking at the newspaper and didn't know who Medusa was and the henpeck husbank tried to explain to her and suddenly he looked at his wife's face with a head full of hair curler which resembled, you guess whom, and the expressions on his face and his wife's; if you happen to have a mouthful of popcorn while watching this, I bet you any amount of money, the corn would explode. It's just about one of the funniest scenes ever. This is a wonderful film full of fun and many wise sayings. You won't be disappointed I assure you, whether you like fables or fairy tales or not, satisfaction quarantied.
As if 7 faces is not enough for him, Randall, at the circus finale he plays himself in the audience shaking his head in disapproval of Dr. Lao's busybody maneuver.
Movie Review: wonderful themes and memories
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this as a child with my father at a Drive-In and loved it. We talked about Pan, Appolonius, and Chinese wisdom, but also the feelings of the widow (a ravishingly beautiful and young Barbara Eden), the plight of the town, and bullies. It stuck in my mind and I saw it many times on TV, with friends as a child and lastly with my high school pals. Each time, I saw different things, and now this time, with my son, I saw it as a melancholy though hopeful story of adults facing choices as they age (yes, where I am in life). That this film for kids is so rich is astonishing to me and inspiring as well as moving. Sharing it with my son - and owning it so that he can watch it with his kids if the opportunity arises - is a great joy. Though the story is somewhat crude at times, the imaginary twists and details are truly unique.
It is still one of my favorites. Tony Randall is amazing as all the magical characters, a virtuoso.
Warmly recommended.
Movie Review: Real Meaning Concealed in Naivete
Summary: 5 Stars
Let's get this out first and foremost. I recoiled when first watching this movie. Tony Randall plays Chinese? How insulting, I thought. But after Joel Hodgson referred to this film in "Mitchell," his parting episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, I had to continue.And after I got through it, I thought about it. I had to overlook the Chinese stereotype(which in the end isn't really belittling--more positive or manneristic racial profiling), but once I got through that superficial detail, I saw a beautiful film.
This movie really has a perspective unlike any other, and though I've seen little else of his, I must say it makes George Pal a great director, worthy of historic note, because directors make perspectives more than anything else. This man created childish wonder before Spielberg was paid for anything he created.
See this movie. It possesses a sense of joy and wonder which every children's movie to follow shares. But this was the first.
Movie Review: "Sometimes you see yourself here . . ."
Summary: 5 Stars
Welcome to Abalone, Arizona, population: strange, and about to get stranger.And who IS the stranger, riding to town on a yellow jackass? We know that he's Chinese, and he arrives just as the townspeople are deciding whether to spend thousand of dollars on a new water pipe, or simply sell out and move on.
This, by the way, is the last sane moment which you will experience until the final scene.
I won't try to describe this through-a-dusty-looking-glass film, nor the novel from which it came. I first saw it in the theater with my parents, and was blessed enough to share this with my children, when that time came.
Production qualities are pretty crude by today's standards, but back in the early 1960s they were state-of-the-art, thanks to George Pal and Ray Harryhousen. Featuring a stable of stars-to-be, this film has depth and an unforgettable lesson.
It's great to see this on DVD, rather than fading to . . .oblivion . . !
Movie Review: Serendipity Cinema #1
Summary: 5 Stars
This won an Oscar for Make up, but it is not the kind of film that one would think right off as an award winner. Hey, it has the feel of Roger Corman and George Pal, with a hint of Ray Harryhausen thrown in (Although I am told it was Jim Danforth and crew who did the actual fx)I remember interviewing Tony Randall years ago, when he was touring in "The Music Man." He said his main memory was having his head and eyebrows shaved. He was distressed because it gave him ``this horrible unborn look.'' All that aside, the film is a joy. It is simple, and while seeming simplistic it is far from that. It humbly powerful. There are a thousand reasons to belittle and put down this film. If if you go in with that mindset, you will find them all. But, if you give it a willing suspention of disbelief and let the magic that hints around every corner over take you, this will be a little gem that you treasure and share with others.