Thursday, July 30, 2009

REVIEW: Warlords



This is the first Jet Li movie I have really enjoyed in quite some time. The film is directed by Peter Chan and starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Xu Jinglei.

The film is set in the 1860s, during the Taiping Rebellion in the late Qing Dynasty in China. The story, based on an unresolved crime in 1870, tells of three sworn brothers (played by Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro) who are forced to turn against one another due to the harsh realities of war and political intrigue.

This film is brutal. With only a 120 minute running time it packs a lot of history and battles. Some of which are truly amazing. The canon scenes are crazy ill. Jet Li is great, and really shows some serious acting hops way above of that of peer Jackie Chan. No offence JC... There is not a lot of martial arts fighting, but there is in spats. This movie worked for me on a dramatic level, an action level, and a historical level. So it clicked in my head as one of the better Hong Kong films I've seen in quite some time. In fact as a result of this film I am curious to get back into that old Hong Kong movie binge I used to have back in the college days.

This film has not yet been released in the states. Its been out in Asia and Europe i think since 07. Not sure what the hold up is. If your looking for an alternative to overly stylized films like Crouching Tiger and Hero, then this gritty action flick will leave you wanting more. The cinematography is also top notch. If you want to score a copy of it, try HKFLIX.COM. They have it in SD and HD. I want Jet and Jackie to stay in HK! No more bad US movies...


REVIEW: Moon


You really can't review Moon, without spoiling it. I'll say this I really enjoyed it, and thought Sam Rockwell was very good. The basic premise is very "2001". An astronaut is the only one on a moon base camp on a 3 year contract to retrieve energy from the sun. He has a computer robot buddy named Gerty that keeps him company. He is set to go home before an accident happens, and well things get a bit out of control. Like i said its hard to say much more without ruining it, but I found it to be good solid film, by Duncan Jones( David Bowie's son) If you liked 2001, you will really dig this. It is almost a companion piece if you will. Good double bill maybe...

Monday, July 27, 2009

North Texas Fresh Episode 1: Tryouts

North Texas Fresh Episode 1: Tryouts from Immotion Studios on Vimeo.



This summer my company, Immotion Studios had the opportunity to meet with Jay Bowdy, the CEO of a new ABA basketball team in this area called The North Texas Fresh. They start their season in Fort Worth later this year. Right now they are just trying to get a team together by looking at local talent. I had several conversations with Jay about doing a documentary at some point, so on my vacation, I went out as a one man band with the HDCam and some mics, and filmed for most of the day at one of their tryouts. I'm not totally sure where this is all headed yet, but it was certainly a lot of fun melding my two loves of filmmaking and basketball. My ultimate goal is to do a documentary on a few players that might find there way to the NBA. If you know much about basketball, its a hard road to go from the minors to the majors. But many have done it, and I hope to capture the sweat and tears of those few players that do make it. So stayed tuned and we will see where this journey will take us...

Monday, July 20, 2009

Cheese Zone!

I WANT TO PRODUCE SPOTS LIKE THIS!!!!!!

Treevenge

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

REVIEW: Public Enemies



I have a bone to pick with director Michael Mann. Well maybe not a bone so much as a real conundrum. I love Michael Mann movies. Thief, Manhunter, and Heat are true classics in crime cinema history. Classics. And for me maybe that was too much to love up to. I have three topics I would like to cover here. 1. The movie itself 2. Mann and HD 3. Remake?

1. The Movie

Public Enemies is a movie of note because it stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. So people will go see it regardless. The story of bank robber John Dillinger most people know, so there is not a lot of suspense. The suspense comes in the action scenes in PE. Which are well done and shot quite well. They do not feel overly staged. The dramatic scenes however are flat as a board. You do not buy the love story between Depp and his sop called blackbird. They have no chemistry nor is there any offered. It just happens. OK. Christian Bale's character has an interesting mission to capture John Dillinger. But you learn absolutely zero about his life or interest in capturing Dillinger. Nada. He is getting slammed by some critics for providing a blank performance, which is BS because there is nothing given to us to even give a rats ass about him. He like the romance of Depp and Blackbird chick just is. Take it or leave it. So in a nutshell, great action scenes with little to no music, just guns and bullet hit sounds. That is great. The film is not really boring, but when you don't care about the characters there is no real interest in who lives or dies. The one saving grace of this film is actor Stephen Lang. One of my favorite character actors dating back to Mann's epic masterpiece NBC show, Crime Story, Lang gives a chilling performance as one of Bale's men tracking Depp down.



2. Mann and HD

For those who could care less about movie technology should leave now! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS MANN THINKING WITH HIS HD??? The movie has great scenes of epic beauty, then all of a sudden we are treated to a shot that looks like I shot it on my home video camera. It's very jarring. Public Enemies joins his own Collateral and the near incomprehensible feature film version of Miami Vice in the "bad HD" feature film list. And the fact that there are virtually tons of other HD movies among us that we never notice as being film or not is a bad deal for Mann. I think it boils down to Mann's insistence that night scenes be shot in really low light, which if you know much about filming in low light in HD, its a no no. I know with this and mostly Vice he is trying to push the edge of HD tech, but dude it's really noticeable and very distracting. Enough of that. The other thing that is not working for me is the use of shaky cam here. Mann used to be the master of the wide screen composition, and for a while now he has been the master of bad shaky cam while trying to sneak in his signature master shots. His style is now all over the map. Another distraction. Click HERE to read an article about the HD cam used on this film.


3. Remake?
If you know or love the Mann film, Heat. Look between the lines....think really hard. This is a remake of Heat to me. And Heat was in fact a remake of Mann's own TV Show, LA Takedown. So in essence he has now remade his own film twice now. This movie is like dating a hot model with little going on upstairs. And to quote Pacino in Heat. "Great Ass!"

This is a fun movie if you love historical crime cinema, and Depp does give a good performance as does everyone else, they just don't have much meat to chew on. Someone please give Mann a great crime script to make!!!!

Been There - Episode 2



I finished the second episode of Immotion Studio's web series, "Been There" for the client, Best Choice. This one stars Will, one of our designers at Immotion, and was a blast to make. The story was something that happened to yours truly. I am retired from on screen appearances so Will played the part of me. Although, I don't remember the beach part too clearly. Will did some great improv work to make the story even funnier. We had a lot of fun doing this on our new green screen studio upstairs. And my 2000 Isuzu Rodeo makes yet another appearance in one of my shorts. The short also features cameos by fellow Immotion employees Jonathan and Patti. Hope you all enjoy it, and look for Part 3 coming soon!

Click HERE to go to the video....

Friday, June 26, 2009

Review Roundup



Here are a few indies I recently viewed that I think are worthy of your attention...

The Red Violin

This came out several years ago, but I just now got around to watching it and i glad I waited, cause it recently began showing on HDNet Movies, and it is a breathtaking piece of cinema. Directed by Francois Girard, The Red Violin follows it's journey through three centuries of war, personal turmoil, and revolutions. The stories are all centered around it's auction in present day Montreal after being found in China. The famous Nicolo Bussotti violin, known as "the red violin," is being auctioned off. During the auction, we flash back to the creation of the violin in 17th century Italy, and follow the violin as it makes its way through an 18th century Austrian monastery, a violinist in 19th century Oxford, China during the Cultural Revolution, and back to Montreal, where a collector tries to establish the identity and the secrets of "the red violin."

All of the stories are interesting and are great showcases for actors such as Carlo Cecchi, Jason Flemyng, Greta Scachi, Sam L. Jackson, and Sylvia Chang to name a few. The imagery and camera work is first class. This is a classically made film for those with classic tastes. If it at the end your not freaking out over where the violin might end up, then you are not alive. screenwriter, Don McKellar and Girard do an amazing job setting up the violin as a character itself. You start to care more for the violin than you do for the characters that own it! Great film.

Look



Just for the record I am not a big fan of cult director Adam Rifkin. But that might change after this film. This film is very original in its execution. The movie sets itself up in the wrong way by saying that Americans are captured on surveillance cameras at least 170 times a day mostly without their knowledge. This produces millions of hours of footage revealing the nature of those hidden secrets.

Well true, but this movie is not real footage, it's a scripted movie that was made to look like it was shot with security cams. Once you get over that and let the movie take you, its a lot of fun. And stick with it, cause it gets better the more you get into it, and it does get a creepy vibe towards the end. The very end makes you a bit mad, due to one of the characters getting away with a really horrible crime.Overall I had a really great time with this movie. It was original and pushed the bounds of creativity. Something original in a sea of studio xeroxes is quite nice to behold once in a while.

Meet Karl Pilkington

Friday, June 12, 2009

Molester Stallone

This is a recut of the 80's classic "Over the Top". I laughed out loud at this one!

Uh-oh, Shaggy



This is my version of a press conference to let all of you know that have commented on this photo of me and Scooby-Doo and my nephew. I did not in any way touch Scooby inappropriately at Six Flags. My wife took a picture of me as my arm was going up to Scooby's shoulders. I am not part of the "Furries" movement, nor will I ever be. And if I was I would not do that in front my innocent nephew. Furthermore I am innocent, and will never pose for pictures with a man in suit ever again. I would like to thank my family and friends for there support during this troubled time in my life, but alas they have only laughed at me and pointed... Me and SD have talked it through and we are totally cool. So please, stop calling him for "Furrie" parties. It's not cool. Leave us alone. (Not together, but seperatly...)

Farewell to Analog TV...


Well today is the last day of analog broadcasting. It is kind of a sad day really. I thought about all the old TV's out there, that if found in a barn or an old house will no longer be able to pick up anything other than some pirate signals, that I'm sure will become popular someday. Here are a few of my favorite analog TV moments...



My Grandma's house in the hot summers... watching a 15 inch black and white TV all day. Gilligan's Island, Banana Splits and Godzilla movies. And speaking to that, until I was a teenager I thought all the Godzilla movies were in black and white!



My first TV in my room at my parents was a little 10 inch or so black and white TV. I still remember the first thing I ever saw on it. ABC was showing the broadcast premiere of 1978's Star Trek: The Motion Picture with new footage! It was 3 hours long with commercials, and I witnessed every damn second of it. I had the action figures from the movie too...



Camping in my Grandpa's old travel trailer in the middle of nowhere in the country, I watched "The Shining" on a 8 inch black and white screen in the back of the trailer with sheets pulled up over my head. I've never gotten those images from my mind. Even if it was cut for TV. Shelly Duvall still scares me to this today. And I am weary of any little kids named Danny including my cousin. And now I have twin nieces. Where are my covers?



Next was at home on maybe my first color TV set in my room. I was in the 6th grade and I stayed up late and watched Kubrick's 2001. That movie disturbed me in such a monumental way. I think it changed the way I looked at movies. I remember telling my Dad and classmates how amazing this thing was. Of course my classmates were more into Porkys than existential space movies. My dad told me stories of how he drove to Dallas to see 2001 on this new gigantic screen back in the 60's. he said he went twice. Lucky.



Other great moments in analog TV history for me were the mini series craze of the 80's that brought us North and South, V, and The Day After. Everyone and I mean everyone was home when these things hit. There was no VCR, no going back. You either saw it live or missed it. People would mock you if you didn't see it. I can remember the madness of going to the grocery store an hour before Miami Vice would come on Friday nights. People were in a panic to get back to there house so they could check out Don Johnson's fresh clothes.

There was also this time where my best buddy Joel and I discovered how to de-scramble the Playboy Channel using an analog TV tuner. But that's a story for another day... Electric Blue...



But maybe my favorite analog moment of all time was in college. I got the opportunity to work with the great Bobbie Wygant at NBC 5 for five plus years on her TV shows, and go home and watch what we did live with my parents while eating dinner. Getting to meet all the hosts of Channel 5 shows from my childhood was nuts. And gaining a lifetime friend, like Bobbie was a dream come true. She really taught me what the TV biz was all about. From watching a crappy 10 inch B&W set in my bedroom, to helping produce what came out of it has been a wonderful journey indeed! Farewell analog world, you shall be missed but not forgotten.

Check out these awesome Channel 5 promos!!!



Tetro



Francis Ford Coppola is a God among the legendary filmmakers. His new film, Tetro starring Vincent Gallo comes out in LA and NYC today, and who knows when it will hit the badlands of Texas. Tetro is the second new film Coppola financed himself and is also distributing. His winery is now making him enough money to where he never deals with studios when making films now. In an interview I heard with him on Howard Stern this week, he said his business of making wine has afforded him the luxury of making films a passion again. This is great news. This is what all filmmakers strive for, complete freedom and FFC has it. So if Tetro ever makes it to Texas, go see it and support it!

Assorted Review Madness

I've been on a pretty good tear recently, so I'd thought I'd share a few thoughts on some films I found interesting...



The Reader

I know I'm late to the party here on this one, but I found this to be a very good film. This film has a plot that is Nazi, but to me this is a device to explore some deeply wounded characters. I thought Kate Winslet, David Kross, and Ralph Fiennes were all interesting in their own ways. This is a very extended coming of age story if you will. The characters may grow up fast and get old, but their journey of self extends itself into several decades. I found Winslet's Hanna Schmitz character to be quite fascinating. My wife read the book, and said that is was very cut and dry, but here you get to see the closet that Hanna hides her soul in, and only at the end does she attempt to open it. I found this film to be a brilliant character study of very interesting characters.


Blindness

Everyone starts going blind, except Amber Waves (I mean Juliane Moore) I really liked the look and tone of this movie there are moments in it that are so sick and depraved you want to vomit. I was totally into this for the first hour or so, but after a while you get the point the filmmaker is trying to make, that humans are A-holes when they have sight and when they don't. Human emotions can get worse weather you have sight or not. I recommend this film cause it is different, and raises some interesting concerns, but I'm not saying its a great movie.


Frost/Nixon

Finally! A Ron Howard film I really liked. I often think most of Howard's films are pretty much like eating melba toast. They fill you up but leave you wanting something on them, like some jelly or something. This film is fleshed out. Again another really interesting character study of two people, Nixon and Frost who had their entire legacy resting on this one interview. Someone had to win, and who wanted it more. I never bought Langella's Nixon in the spots and ads, but after seeing the whole thing you totally buy it. He slips nicely into the role, much more effectively than Hopkins did in "Nixon" to me. I thought the contrast of Frost to Nixon was really riveting, and how they both really thought nothing of each other but actually needed each other. A great film worth multiple viewings.


Splinter

A fun little horror monster yarn from director Toby Wilkins. Its about a Splinter type infection that turns various body parts into a collage of a crazy monster. Most of the film takes place in a country convenience store. If there are any Jill Wagner fans in the house, then you will want to see this. It made me wonder why she doesn't get more tough chick work. She's a bad ass in the making. Someone give her a B-movie action vehicle of her own!!!


Body of Lies

Ridley Scott = brilliant (sometimes). Russel Crowe = brilliant. Leo = Growing Pains. Body of Lies = Boredom. This is a film of blown opportunities. I didn't even finish it.


Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

I liked this one more than I thought I would. A good little comedy that reminded me of After Hours and other great nighttime urban comedy adventures. Great cameos from SNL people and Michael Cera is again a pleasure to watch. And Kat Denning's Norah is very easy on the eyes.


Phase IV

I sought out this film because of my love of Saul Bass. He did all the great Hitchcock opening credits and James Bond open credits. Not to mention a lot of Scorcese's too. Casino being one of my favs. Anyway back int he day circa 1974, he directed his only feature film called Phase IV, which was about ants, becoming hive brain minded and taking over the Earth! This is greatness you say? No, not so much. There is a LOT of macro ant footage and some Michael Murphy madness, but not much else. I was actually rooting for the ants in this one.

REVIEW: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas


This is a film that kind of slipped through the cracks to me. I rented it on Netflix and being a WW2 film afficando I was compelled to check it out. The film centers around Bruno an 8 year old who lives with his Nazi general Dad and Mom, and sister. Bruno is aware of the war around him, and the Nazi's that often live in his home in the country, but Bruno is more concerned with reading adventure books and exploring the land around their country home. One day Bruno sees what he thinks may be a farm in the far distance. He notices that the farmers all seem to be wearing striped pajamas. Curious about this "farm" Bruno decides to find a way to get over to the farm, and in doing so makes friends with an 8 year old behind the fence named Shmuel. Bruno keeps his relationship with Shmuel a secret from his family of course. His own sister is obsessed with the Hitler youth, so Bruno must sneak out every day to visit and feed Shmuel tasty treats from the mansion.



One day Shmuel tells Bruno that his father has gone missing in the camps and he cannot find him. Bruno hatches a plan from one of his adventure books, to help him find his father. I can't really say much more about it from here as it would ruin the impact of the film's climax. The film is based on the book for young adults by John Boyne, and it feels light in that respect but in a good way.




The thing I really liked about this movie was that director Mark Herman never strays from the perspective of the boy Bruno. It's about the ultimate loss of innocence. I have read some criticism that even though it features the great actors, David Thewlis and the awesome Vera Farmiga (If you have not seen "Down to the Bone" with her, then shame on you.) it never gets caught up in their own personal drama, it's still seen through Bruno's eyes. I think that's the right thing to do here. Even though this is a film about genocide, it is a very peaceful introspective experience. "Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is a wonderful little film that I think everyone will enjoy. It's out on DVD now.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Fletch Blu-ray review


There is a great review of the blu-ray version of the greatest comedy movie ever made, Fletch with Chevy Chase over at Blu-ray.com. Check it out HERE. And if you don't own at least two copies of Fletch in your collection then get off your ass and get to the store and charge it to the Underhills. And don't forget the steak sandwich and a steak sandwich.

First Clips from the new version of "V" remake...

V is one of my childhood favorite shows of all time. It worked on a fun sci-fi adventure level and worked on a social/holocost level as well. I'm not down with this remake at all yet... but i will be watching when it comes out.



Tuesday, May 19, 2009

MINI-REVIEW: Star Trek (2009)


OK, I'm not going to review Star Trek here. It was great and it was bad ass. You don't need me to tell you that. There are a hundred other reviews that can tell you that. In fact I'm re-gearing this blog to talk more about movies you've never heard of or may have missed. The ones that may have fallen through the cracks like my own! But occasionally I plan on talking about some big budget stuff. But after its all said and done there is no reason for me to talk about Star Trek or Transformers 2. They get enough pub as it is. Time to concentrate on the little guys more. Having said that there was two big things about Star Trek I didn't like. The way it treated science and humanity. To me the essence of Star Trek has always been Humankind's quest for knowledge. And Star Trek always had that in spades. Now no one loves a great space battle more than me. But is that really the essence of Trek? No it isn't.



Star Trek was about peace and how The Federation was there to promote that and to advance science to make every one's lives better. The new movie is by all means a thrill ride but that's really all it gives you after its over. Back in the day I used to come out of Star Trek episodes thinking about how we can advance as a people without tearing each other apart with violence. It was a good seed that series creator Gene Roddenberry planted, and one that JJ Abrams passed up for a great roller coaster ride. Maybe a sequel will get it right and avoid the trap of having to outdo the space battle of the previous movie. People compare this movie to Wrath of Khan with good measure, but Spock gave his life so that science and the advancement of it would not fall into the hands of evil. So yes Star Trek is back in a big way and I am very happy, let's just hope it does not become Die hard in space!

Martyrs


I don't normally recommend movies that really disturbed me, but in this case, I am making an exception. Martyrs which got little if any release here in the U.S. Martyrs directed by Pascal Laugier is a truly disturbing French film, that leaves you cold inside after viewing. I am recommending it because it has not left my mind since I saw it. It's been over a month and I still think about it. And for that reason I am saying you should go out and get it. It is out on video now, so give it shot.



I'm not going to review it, because the more I say about it will ruin its shock. The film is well made and very well thought out. I can't really say that it is a horror movie per se but it does start out that way, then halfway through it takes a turn into a new realm. Some might pass it off as the Saw-esque torture porn trend, but I think it transcends the horror genre at the halfway point, and goes into a more cerebral area. However it is one that you might not want to visit with the lights off.

ONEDREAMRUSH



ONEDREAMRUSH is a very cool-sounding collaborative effort between filmmakers, writers, actors and actresses that was created by the New Zealand Vodka brand 42BELOW and, as such, is the first implicitly branded content ever admitted to the Cannes Film Festival.

Essentially, a bunch of world-renowned artists were brought together to create 42 films, each 42 seconds long and all of them about the interpretation of dreams. Among those featured are Abel Ferrara, David Lynch, Asia Argento, James Franco, Kenneth Anger, Arden Wohl, Sean Lennon, Mike Figgis, Harmony Korine and so many more. Each director's film will be featured at this WEBSITE for one year, and the complete work will begin a tour following Cannes that will take it through New York, London and Rome. I checked youtube and about 12 of the 42 episodes are on there already. However they could get pulled at anytime! Check out the trailer below!

The Immotion Studios Blog


Now you can follow my work adventures on the new Immotion blog by going to http://immotionblog.blogspot.com or just click HERE.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

REVIEW: Timecrimes



OK, You have to see this movie! This one I had heard a lot about and finally got to see it this week. If you love time travel scenarios and theorizing what would happen if you went back in time and did this or did that, and whatnot, this is an incredible film to sink your minds into. The movie concerns an older couple living out in the woods. Nearby is a research facility where we do not know whats happening really. Not yet anyway. After doing some landscaping, The husband, Hector is enjoying his surrounds watching things through his binoculars when he sees a young woman disrobing. His wife leaves to run an errand and intrigued he walks into the woods only to find her knocked out, then he is stabbed in the arm by a man wearing a bloody bandage as a mask and a trench coat.



As he runs away he takes shelter in the research facility and a scientist tells him to hide in this giant liquid tub machine with a cover over it. He goes in and in a second he is transported back in time a few hours. The scientist tells him that there are now 2 of him. He then tries to go back and stop the killing but then realizes that through a series of crazy events the "killer" in the mask is actually someone he knows quite well... And the time loop keeps happening to a point where there are 3 versions of him walking around trying to figure it all out in this 2 hour time frame. You really have to pay attention but if you love that time shifting stuff this is a really fun movie to watch and re-watch. The performances are dead on, and the director, Nacho Vigalondo does a great job here on his first feature film. Look out for this guy, as he could be a director to watch. It's out on video now through Magnet Releasing. Netflix it now!!!

Here is a trailer:

Friday, April 17, 2009

St. Nick (UPDATED)




My buddy James Johnston produced a movie by local filmmaker David Lowery called St. Nick. It made some serious noise at SWSW and won the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Dallas fest. I'm real excited for those guys and to see the movie! I have not yet seen it, because I'm a butthead, but I hope to this Saturday night at 8pm as its playing at The Modern in Ft. Worth as part of the Modern 'Til Midnight series going on. So if you're into cool indie films or films in general go out and see St. Nick. It's made by real filmmakers who love film, and know how to actually express themselves through it. Imagine that? CLICK HERE for a link to the Modern site where you can find ticket and show info.

UPDATE:

We went and saw the movie and I was really moved by the film. I think David did a tremendous job at juggling telling a story and doing it a way that was pure to him as an artist. I felt there was a great balance here, and reminded me of Badlands. I'm proud to know those guys and I think this film will be a huge stepping stone for them. I'm really impressed with the film!!! I will keep people updated on where the film is and how to see it.

Will You Be Here Tomorrow?



Oh my this is so wonderful...

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Warners Brothers has a brilliant idea!


This is truly a great idea and I am glad the folks over at Warners figured this out. Check it:

Warner Bros has produced over 6,800 theatrical films, but only 1,200 or so titles are available on DVD today. But tonight the studio has announced that they are opening their movie vault, through a new website — WarnerArchive.com. Until now, the limited sales potential of some films and tv shows has prevented Warner Bros from making the titles available to the public. The new site is an on-demand manufacturing operation which allows customers to purchase long tail titles. Movies will cost $19.95, and will be shipped in a shrink-wrapped case with cover art within five days of purchase.

That's one side of it, but you can also for about 5-10 bucks cheaper just get a digital copy of the film you are looking for without having to deal with dvd at all. This should serve as a model for other studios looking to make money and also you bypass the middleman such as Blockbuster (on life support) and Netflix. Access to all those lost films that may never see the light of day is a great way for film nerds to discover new works of art and then spread them to their friends, thus expanding the opportunity for that film to have new life and make some money at the same time. Genius! The Warner Archive is active right now. Take a look HERE.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

RIP: Natasha Richardson


Horrible news. Natasha Richardson died yesterday after a freakish ski accident. I always admired her work as an actress, in particular was a movie she worked quite hard on to get made and released called "The Handmaid's Tale" in 1990. It has become somewhat of a cult classic now, so if you have not seen it, I would recommend it highly... Here is the very cheesy trailer for it.