Union City

Rating:
Summary: Good Movie, "Eh" Transfer
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The acting is wonderful, the photography is great, and the real 'noir' feeling of it is wonderful. But, for those who have not seen it, you must be patient. The movie does not travel at 100 MPH like several of the modern movies, it is rather a slowly paced, slowly unfolding movie. You must be prepared to sit, watch, and enjoy. It is also a very humorous movie. This movie can teach you to appreciate and even laugh at the bizarre. However, no matter how much I love the movie, the DVD transfer is at a 'so-so' level. It is grainy, and the big spots that are usually invisible when remastered are still there. Also, the only extra is a biography on Ms. Harry. So, if you can appreciate slow moving movies and mediocre transfers, then this movie is a must have.

Rating:
Summary: Union (rhymes with) "City"
Review: Long awaiting this release on DVD and fully expecting technology to chime new life into this dark pleasantry of a Debbie Harry fan's movie, I was virtually STARTLED at the grain and blocking of color that Union City in DVD format suffers. Sometimes the images appear to actually be a grid of sorts with the worst-ever digital transfer possible. You see a milky haze over the entire production along with the "jigsaw puzzle" appearance of some of the shots not noticed on VHS tape copies. An "SLP" recording of Union City on a bad VHS tape that is 15 years old is actually clearer than this DVD and I can prove it. I wouldn't have wasted my time if I weren't so angered at the loss of money and hopes.

Rating:
Summary: Deborah Harry's first film role
Review: Set in the early fifties this homage to film noir has some good intentions as an art film. Great soundtrack by Blondie 's Chris Stein and a so so performance by Deborah Harry who in a mousy brown wig is deglamourized and overshadowed by the male lead Filmed in early 1979 but not released till 1981 ending.is interesting

Rating:
Summary: For die-hard Deborah Harry fans only.
Review: Such as myself. Although I'm finicky about her music, and don't like some of her songs, there's something about the woman herself that's made me a rather devoted Deborah Harry accolyte. Movie-wise, I liked her performances in "Intimate Stranger" and "Videodrome" much better. Anyone looking for Deborah Harry visual material would do well to choose those instead (especially the former). This one failed to showcase her properly. Although first-billed as the picture's star, her character was consistently stepped on and overshadowed by her male lead (the husband), the fruit-loop "contessa" and even the alleged "victim". (And putting this beautiful woman in that dark-brown hair-do in the first half was a criminal act!) Director Reichert would have done well to expand Harry's character and blow away some of the useless dialogue of the others (half of the husband's scenes in his office could have been axed.)The inclusion of equally talented diva Pat Benatar, also in a non-singing role, was a nice addition. I enjoyed her too brief performance. For a non-actor, Pat did OK. Conclusion: unless you want this for the "Debbie" drawer in your collection, rent it. Two of the stars for Deborah, one for Pat, zilch for the rest.

Rating:
Summary: Honk, zzzzzzzzzzzz..........................................
Review: The second star in this rating is for the performance of Deborah Harry, that while laudable is not enough to recommend this film. Harry lives in a dim apartment with her annoying and prickly husband who is obsessed with catching an early morning thief that swipes his milk bottles. Harry is quite good at portraying a frustrated wife who wishes her husband was a passionate man who could quench her desires instead of an obsessive kook who sits up nights hoping to confront the man pinching his dairy products. In the film Harry's husband continues to spiral downward with his compulsions - but frankly the entire thing is simply a bore, so much so that a possbile clever ending is just a welcome prelude to the final credits signaling that your chore of watching this under-written, under-developed rough draft of a real movie is thankfully at a close.

Rating:
Summary: Honk, zzzzzzzzzzzz..........................................
Review: The second star in this rating is for the performance of Deborah Harry, that while laudable is not enough to recommend this film. Harry lives in a dim apartment with her annoying and prickly husband who is obsessed with catching an early morning thief that swipes his milk bottles. Harry is quite good at portraying a frustrated wife who wishes her husband was a passionate man who could quench her desires instead of an obsessive kook who sits up nights hoping to confront the man pinching his dairy products. In the film Harry's husband continues to spiral downward with his compulsions - but frankly the entire thing is simply a bore, so much so that a possbile clever ending is just a welcome prelude to the final credits signaling that your chore of watching this under-written, under-developed rough draft of a real movie is thankfully at a close.

Rating:
Summary: A cult film with some nice suprises
Review: Union City is a interesting and subtle film about a neurotic accountant, Harland (The George Costanzaish Dennis Lipscomb) who becomes increasingly obsessed with a vagrant who is stealing his milk every morning, much to the dispair of his sexy, young wife Lillain (a brown haired Deborah Harry), who we later discover is having an affair with her handsome building janitor. Meanwhile Harland devises a trap to catch the vagrant red handed, when he does, he kills the young man in a fit of rage. As Harland becomes more and more paraniod with guilt and fear of being caught, his wife begins to find true happiness with her new love and makes plans to run away with him. This is an independent production with an almost non existent budget, the whole film is pretty much set in the one apartment, with some moody lighting to add interest. What the film does have however is a talented cast including Harry (who reportedly replaced Meryl Streep in the role !) and Everett Mcgill who later found fame as Ed in "Twin Peaks". Another highlight is the soundtrack created by Debbie's Blondie bandmate Chris Stein which adds to the 1940's feel of the movie perfectly. While not to everyones taste Union City will appeal to cult film buffs and to fans of Harry (the movie was made at the peak of her "Heart of glass" days). A movie that becomes more interesting with repeated viewings