The Idolmaker (1980)

A music manager turns ordinary young men into singing idols.

Ray Sharky gives a killer high-octane performance as Vincent Vacarri, an intensely driven music manager who transforms a high school kid and a small-time sax player into national superstars.

The ultimate stage mother, he injects every move, every note, and nuance into his performers, and we're all along every step of the way on this ride.  Tremendous supporting cast including Joe Pantoliano, Tovah Feldshuh, and Peter Gallagher.   You can feel the raw nerves the first time this kid walks onto a stage, and the thrill as he breaks through to the audience.

The performance scenes are marvelous.  Hats off to director Taylor Hackford, who pulled them off so precisely.

What rounds this story off nicely is the backstory of Vincent, and the inevitable problems that arise from his obsessive personality.  What could easily have become a happy-dappy one-dimensional biopic turns into a legitimate tale of success, struggle, and redemption.

This one is over 30 years old and still fresh.
A first rate movie from start to finish.

Quickie Synopsis
Baby
Baby
I just wanna take you.....













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Hesher (2010)

An aimless heavy-metal badass infiltrates a grieving family.

I went into this expecting the cliche.  You know, a charismatic good-hearted knucklehead who, through his wisdom and wild shenanigans, brings a family together after a crisis.

Not really.

Well, it kinda goes there, but unlike you would expect.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a reckless, impulsive guy who lives for the moment.  And despite his smiling eyes, he's not all that wise.  And at the moment you expect something profound from him, well....keep waiting.   He's pretty much just a shithead.

Look though in Gordon-Levitt's character for the little slivers of reflection and honor that break through, just barely.  Restrained and well done.

Rainn Wilson plays completely against type, bearded, and morose. Natalie Portman (who produced) plays an unsure, awkward girl and makes it look easy to boot.  Devin Brochu is a 12-year old who can actually act-- go figure.

This is a small indie-type movie that skillfully evades convention.  OK, it does have the standard indie offbeat meaningful gesture toward the end, but it's an interesting watch.

Quickie Synopsis
Badass
Moves
In


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New York Stories (1989)

Three 40-minute stories set in madcap Manhattan, each by a famous director.  Scorsese/Coppola/Allen in that order.

Interesting pick for a rainy movie night.

First story features Nick Nolte as a successful painter feeding off his obsession with his young, pretty live-in assistant (Rosanna Arquette).  By far the best out of the 3.  A finely crafted angst-fest!

Second tale features a privileged 12-year old girl's mild shenanigans in an upscale hotel.   Fast forward past this.  It is drivel.  Why Francis, why?
Leave this story.  Take the cannolis.

Third gem by Woody Allen features a middle-aged man tortured by his opinionated nudnik of a mother.  Typical Woody here, it is a refreshing dessert after the first 2.

Worth seeing overall.  Meatloaf hit the nail on the head for this one:

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Quickie Synopsis
Scorcese
Coppola
Allen


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