“Doctor Dolittle” to “Dogma”

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Doctor Dolittle (1967) – I’m not sure that this is as Hugh Lofting would have wanted it, but the songs are great, the performances dead-on and, on the whole, it’s just a lot of fun! Geoffrey Holder, as William Shakespeare X, is irresistibly civilized, even when about to deliver the Death of a Thousand Screams… (KCL)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) – A tragic love story, as Al Pacino and his buddy rob a bank to finance a sex change for Pacino’s male lover. They should have read The Two-minute Rule. Definitely worth your time as Pacino works to get out with as little carnage as possible. (KCL)

Dog Soldiers (2002) – Some Brit squaddies in northern Scotland are out on weekend maneuvers. What could possibly go wrong? Ooh, you’ll find out… This is for my money, apart from The Wolf Man, the best werewolf movie to hit screens of any size. Must be seen to be believed! (KCL)

Dogfight (1991) – Four young marines spend their last night stateside in San Francisco before heading off to Vietnam set up a “dogfight” – a party in which the winner brings the ugliest date. Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix) is having trouble finding a date until he comes across Rose (Lili Taylor), a shy folk music loving waitress. A surprisingly powerful film about redemption through love. River Phoenix and Lili Taylor are nothing short of brilliant. (GS)

Dogma (1999) – Kevin Smith has come a long way from his Clerks/ Mallrats days. He has somehow created an iconography where people work with people in films that connect to other films. It is sort of a filmdom-counter-reality. Everyone seemed to get a piece of this one. It might be the most educational comedy recently made. Two fallen angels, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, want to get back to heaven but they keep messing up! Then they discover a little known loophole – they only have to bring about the end times! This film is violent, vulgar, full of profanity and nudity. It is also quick, sharp, witty, thought provoking, and interesting as heck. (KWR)

 

 

 

 

Originally published in Raspberry World – Volume 2, Issue 1 (June/July 2007)