The Peanut Butter Solution, 1985 - ★★★½

The Peanut Butter Solution, 1985 - ★★★½
_REVIEWED_

"Its a case of the hair'em scare'em..."

Dr. Epstein (Harry Hill)

Fun, twisted children's fantasy from Canada. Due to shock while in an haunted house a boy named Michael loses his hair. Out of frustraition he ends up using a magical peanut butter potion to help it grow back. Only it causes his hair to grow extremely long and fast. In steps a sinister arts teacher, who uses this to his advantage to make magic paintbrushes.

Though a touch dated feeling, its still very inventive even downright surreal at times. I'd never heard of it until today but I guess it was a real treat to see back on its release in the 80's. Visually it looks pretty much TV quality, in fact a fair few of the cast I'd seen in Degrassi Junior High.

[PRFR]
The wickedly OTT performance of the kidnapping arts teacher/maniacal painter (aren't they all).

Originally taken from Letterboxd

Skellig: The Owl Man, 2009 - ★★★½

Skellig: The Owl Man, 2009 - ★★★½
REVIEWED

"Reasons to be cheerful part 3, 1 2 3, some of Buddy Holly, the working folly, the Bolshoi Ballet...."

Dave (John Simm) Dad singing to Ian Dury

Wickedly subdued slice of fantasy dealing with faith and self belief. Michaels parents move to a rundown old house in-order to make room for their impending addition of a new baby sister. Angsty teenager Michael discovers a stranger is living in an old work shed in the garden. At first he assumes the man is merely a junkie seeking shelter, though later he learns the man who seems to have given up on himself isn't what he first appeared.

Charming made for TV family movie based on David Almond's clever children's book. The story is very reminiscent of the classic children's faith testing movies 'Forbidden Games' & 'Whistle Down the Wind' only much more fantasy orientated, its a solid adaptation with great production values. I'm actually shocked how mature SKY Televisions output has become over the last three or four years, gone are the crumbly old days of starsearch. The casts fantastic with Tim Roth, Kelly Macdonald & John Simm, but its young 'Son of Rambow' actor Bill Milner that shines brightest.

[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]

Quality acting, magical numbered Chinese take aways and dodgy gags about arteritis (Arthur Itus).

Originally taken from Letterboxd

The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, 1980 - ★★★½

The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, 1980 - ★★★½
REVIEWED

"God is my co-pilot"

Bernie (Bujold)

Hugely entertaining live action family adventure from Walt Disney. In order to runaway from his debts pilot Noah Dugan (Elliott Gould) takes a job flying missionary Miss Lafleur (Geneviève Bujold) her animals and two kid stowaways to her new tropical outpost. Only they fly off course and are forced to land on a remote island inhabited by two Japanese soldiers who've been stranded since wwII, and still think the wars ongoing.

Not even the overtly Christian themes, dire repetitive theme song and teared up Ricky Schroder (this time doing his don't die champ shtick, only with his love for a yak) put me off enjoying this fun romp. If ever your stuck finding entertainment for children you could do far worse than slapping this in the old VCR. A rare treat to have such a remarkable ensemble of actors in a family movie. You expect Gould being great in everything, but its also Bujol's best performance I've seen her in, outside of her two medical shockers 'Dead Ringers' & 'Coma'.

[PRFR: Personal Reasons For Remembering]
The magnificent sight of the airplanes fuselage being turned into a sea worthy raft and rent a crier child star Schroder almost becoming shark bait.

Originally taken from Letterboxd