The Godson / Below the Belt

The Godson / Below the Belt

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Movie Reviews of The Godson / Below the Belt

Movie Review: Ellison Wonderland
Summary: 4 Stars

As usual with Novak films, the rather bare plots are summed up in more than sufficient detail on the back cover of the DVD. Anything more would create a false impression of how much plot there is considering that what's there is just an excuse to show lots of women and some violence. Both films have the usual fun overacting, especially Buck Flower's performance as the punchdrunk former boxer in "Below the Belt". Unfortunately, the plots are even sparser than usual in these films, so consequently there is not quite as much of the unintentional humour normally found in Novak films, which renders these two weaker.

But there is one surprise which earns this DVD an extra star for those who love spotting famous people doing things you can be sure they later regretted. In the case of "The Godson", the target of humour is Hugo and Nebula award-winning author, screenwriter and film critic Harlan Ellison. In most of his scene, which involves (sci-fi?) conventioners being entertained courtesy of the hilariously sideburned and afroed godson, you can only see Ellison's arms, but his face is clearly visible for several seconds and he is clearly enjoying himself. This scene was even shot in Ellison's home which is easily recognizable with the many bookshelves almost completely covering all the walls. The best way to watch this scene is after reading any of Ellison's many reviews blasting some fun turkey of a film for not living up to his lofty intellectual and artistic standards. The irony is delicious.