Parents is a Parents 1989

Parents is a   Parents 1989Parents is a film I had known about for quite a while before I finally decided to check it out. I was quite surprised by what I saw. Bob Balaban's cold, minimalistic style was just the touch this film needed. What could have been slapstick horror comedy (a la Dead-Alive or Evil Dead 2, both of which are great; that style just wouldn't work as well for this film) instead becomes a superbly filmed satire of 1950s family culture.

I never thought I could actually be afraid of Randy Quaid, but his performance is truly blood-curdling. (Strangely enough, due to the facial expressions he makes throughout the movie, this is the first time I've ever noticed a resemblance between him and his brother Dennis.) He plays the character with a understatement I didn't realize he was capable of.

I understand why some critics came down on the climax and resolution of the film, feeling it much too conventional in light of what had preceded it, but I feel that there weren't too many more possibilities they could have utilized. The film works fine the way it is, and I recommend it to fans of horror films and sharp-witted satire alike.
Parents is a film

Randy Quaid Magical Legend of the Leprechauns

Randy Quaid Magical Legend of the Leprechauns

This movie literally made me fall in love....with Ireland, it's legends, it's music and especially with a certain leprechaun named Mickey Muldoon (Daniel Betts, a phenominal young actor.) The story was creative while staying true to the old Irish tales, and Shakespear's "Romeo and Juliet" theme was never used to better advantage. There were a few incongruities, and Randy Quaid and Whoopi Goldberg seemed to be cast only for their star-power. Also, while my young teenaged daughters enjoyed the whole movie, the smaller children thought that the sections encompassing the human love story were a bit long. But when the movie focused on the actual "faerie story" it was truly captivating for all involved. The vast majority of the acting was superb, the musical score was enchanting, the special effects were very well done, and the entire experience was extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend this movie for anyone who ever had a romantic bone in their body, ever loved a fairy tale, or ever dreamed of Ireland.

Randy Quaid Magical Legend of the Leprechauns

Randy Quaid Magical Legend of the Leprechauns

Last Rites Randy Quaid

Last Rites Randy Quaid

 

         I stayed up until 2 AM so I could finish watching Last Rites, a pretty good cabler starring Randy Quaid and Embeth Davidtz. The movie stars Quaid as Jeremy Dillon, a serial killer who is shown in the beginning preparing for his execution. He's strapped to the chair and the electricity is on when all of a sudden lightning strikes the chair, leaving him alive but with "amnesia." A psychologist is brought in to evaluate him and pretty soon she begins to believe that he's changed, especially when he begins to have psychic powers that help the FBI in many ways.

Throughout this movie, I was wondering if Dillon's change of heart was real or a ploy to save himself. I thought Quaid did some of his best work to date portraying Dillon first as a cold blooded psychopath and then as someone repulsed by his crimes. Davidtz also was very good as the one woman who cares about him. 

        Isn't it true that we can choose to use our greatest gifts for good or evil? In this movie, a man is given a second chance to use his gifts for good. Perhaps this can be a lesson about how we should look at the murderers in our society and help them to learn how to use their gifts to save lives. Another thought-provoking movie about a man who finds truth stars Anthony Hopkins in "Instinct".

        The ending was a surprise and actually was the best one they could have had. I would recommend this movie to anyone looking for a decent thriller that doesn't rely on gore. You can probably find it at Hollywood Video or Blockbuster.

Actors: Randy Quaid, Embeth Davidtz, A Martinez, Clarence Williams III, Jack Coleman

Directors: Kevin Dowling

Writers: Richard Outten, Tim Frost

Producers: John V. Stuckmeyer, Judith Craig Marlin, Samuel Benedict, Sydell Albert

Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC

Rated: R (Restricted)

Number of tapes: 1

Studio: Universal Studios

VHS Release Date: June 8, 1999

Run Time: 90 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

ASIN: B00000IQVG

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #11,683 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)